After more than 30 years in the community legal sector, Gold Coast lawyer Victoria Shiel will share her experience with the medical profession’s next generation.
In August, Victoria stepped down as CEO of the Gold Coast Community Legal Centre (GCCLC) at Southport to take up a role teaching medical students at Bond University.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to decide to resign as I am, and always will be, passionate about the sector, and the work of community legal centres and there is still so much to be done,” Victoria said.
“My focus is now on education and mentoring, and looking at ways for greater collaboration between services and professionals.”
Her new role will focus on raising awareness of the complex needs of CLC clients, beyond legal assistance.
“They (clients) may require ongoing support from a range of services, including trauma counselling, drug and alcohol treatment, housing assistance, and financial support and to be heard and believed,” she said.
“It is essential that the systems they interact with are well co-ordinated to provide comprehensive care.
“When people make the brave decision to reach out for help – whether they are facing domestic violence, elder abuse, or any other form of injustice – it is vital that we are ready to support them at every stage of their journey.”
Victoria, who was admitted in 1990, will draw on insights from her career, which includes working as a barrister in the Northern Territory for more than 10 years, and helping to establish the Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer Service at Southport.
She said she found her new role “deeply satisfying” but was also “immensely proud” of her time at the GCCLC.
“When I first stepped into the centre 18 years ago it was a small operation with just one full-time lawyer and a part-time lawyer primarily offering advice on dividing fences,” she said.
“Today, it stands as a strong and thriving organisation, deeply enmeshed in the community and with a reputation that commands respect across all levels of government and provides critical legal and social work services and more vital and complex assistance and support for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged residents.”
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