Current Committee

Rachel Walsh, President

Rachel graduated in Law/Arts from Melbourne University in 1992 and has worked as a solicitor in Melbourne ever since. She is a partner of DLA Phillips Fox. Rachel has been a member of the Reprieve Australia committee since 2002. In 2002-03, Rachel spent three months as a volunteer intern in the Gulf Region Advocacy Center (GRACE) in Houston, Texas. She speaks regularly at universities and colleges and to school groups and professional bodies about her experiences as an intern and the work of Reprieve.

Ben Kiely, Vice-President

Ben studied Law and Arts at The University of Melbourne and graduates in 2008.  In 2005/06 he completed a three month internship at the Gulf Region Advocacy Centre (GRACE) in Houston, Texas, working on several death penalty cases in Harris County and helping to draft the 8th edition of Losch's Texas Capital Defender Manual, a guide for court-appointed capital defence attorneys.  Since returning from Houston, Ben stayed involved with Reprieve and has previously served as its Executive Officer.  He was Editor of the Melbourne University Law Review in 2006, and will undertake articles with Mallesons Stephen Jaques in 2008.

Nicholas Harrington, Immediate Past President

Nick was the founding President of Reprieve and is a barrister at the Victorian Bar.  His principal areas of practice are industrial relations, employment law and discrimination law.

Anna Martin, Executive Officer

Anna is currently completing degrees in Arts, Law, Swedish and may also take up Spanish.  After spending a semester studying in Sweden, she completed a Reprieve internship in Houston, Texas in 2006.  Anna currently works part-time for Reprieve, part-time for a criminal solicitor and studies full-time.  She is also the Patron Coordinator of Australia's very first Human Rights Arts and Film Festival.

Natasha Stojanovich, Committee Member

Natasha studied Law and Arts (majoring in criminology) at Monash University and graduates in 2008. In 2002/03 she completed a three month internship at the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Centre (LCAC) in New Orleans, working on a variety of cases in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. Since returning to Australia, Natasha has remained actively involved in Reprieve Australia, and has previously served as Reprieve's Executive Officer, Secretary and Education Officer. Natasha is currently coordinating Reprieve Australia's Internship Program. She has involvement and experience in a variety of social justice organisations, and has a special interest in international law and criminal justice policy. Natasha will be commencing articles with DLA Phillips Fox in in 2008.

John Fergusson, Committee Member

John is Head of Business Management, Specialised Businesses  at the National Australia Bank and is in charge of Reprieve's Media operations.

Mimi Marcus, Committee Member

Mimi is a solicitor practicing at Maddocks Lawyers.  In 2001/2, she completed a 3-month Reprieve volunteer placement at what is now the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center working a number of death penalty cases.  In 2006, Mimi commenced a Masters of Public and International Law at the University of Melbourne.

Lucy Larkins, Committee Member

After graduating from law school in 2006, Lucy made her way to New Orleans where she spent four months doing an internship at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center ('LCAC'). The LCAC is a not-for-profit law firm that represents people facing the death penalty in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. She recently returned to New Orleans to take up a volunteer position as the Client Welfare Coordinator at the LCAC. Her work focuses on improving the welfare and conditions of people on death row and people serving life in prison.

Lucy Rees, Committee Member

Lucy's involvement with ReprieveAustralia began with an internship at the Multi-County Public Defender in Atlanta, Georgia in 2002 where she assisted in the defence of clients facing capital murder charges.  On her return she coordinated Reprieve's volunteer program for 3 years while completing her Arts/Law degree at Monash University.  Lucy is now a lawyer in the Commercial Law department of Australian Government Solicitor.  Lucy recently took on the role of Education and Outreach Officer for Reprieve, which will see her organising events and talks by returned interns at universities and schools.

Paul Lamb, Committee Member

After hearing about Reprieve at a university talk, Paul signed up as a member and later volunteered to work as an intern.  In 2005, he worked at the Gulf Region Advocacy Center in Houston, Texas, assisting in investigations and legal work for a number of clients facing capital punishment.  After returning from the US, Paul joined the Reprieve committee and helped put together the new Reprieve website.  Paul holds Arts and Law degrees and is currently an articled clerk at DLA Phillips Fox.

Rebecca Liley, Committee Member

Rebecca Liley is slowly but surely finishing her LLB/BA degree at the University of Melbourne. She worked as a ReprieveAustralia Intern from May till September 2006 at the Gulf Region Advocacy Center in Houston, Texas, where she had the opportunity to investigate and attend a full capital murder trial.  This experience inspired legal research into race-based jury selection in the United States that she continues to undertake whilst in Melbourne.  When not in the library, Rebecca works at the offices of Galbally Rolfe Criminal Barristers & Solicitors and volunteers at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. Rebecca has a keen interest in community law and hopes to qualify as a solicitor so that she may work in the area of criminal defence. 

Dominic Keller, Committee Member

Dominic Keller has had a long interest in issues surrounding the administration of the death penalty in the United States and South East Asia.  He completed an internship at the Texas Defender Service in 2001/2002 and worked on appeals at the U.S State and Federal level on behalf of inmates convicted of capital crimes who often had imminent execution dates looming.  After returning from the internship he worked with Reprieve Australia prior to commencing his current position as Volunteers Co-ordinator for the organisation.  He is currently working at Lander and Rogers Lawyers in Melbourne.