Migration Law Seminar

Justice Natalie Charlesworth graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) in 1991, the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours in 2001 and the Australian National University with a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice in 2002.

After a decade of working in journalism, Charlesworth J commenced her legal career in 2002 as an Associate to the Hon Justice John Mansfield AM of the Federal Court.  Her Honour was a solicitor and senior solicitor in the South Australian Crown Solicitor’s Office, a solicitor and researcher to the then South Australian Solicitor-General, Mr Christopher Kourakis SC, and a senior associate with Kelly & Co Lawyers prior to signing the Bar roll in 2007 and entering into private practice as a barrister.  Her Honour was appointed to the Federal Court in 2016, sitting in most of the Court’s Practice Areas.  She is an additional Justice of the Australian Capital Territory Court of Appeal, in its Civil and Criminal jurisdictions.

Katherine was admitted to practice in South Australia in 2006 and called to the New South Wales Bar in 2019.  Katherine’s core practice area is administrative law.  She acts for both private parties and government agencies and has considerable experience defending agencies as respondents to judicial review applications. 

Annually since 2016, Katherine has been listed by Best Lawyers in the categories of Government Practice and Immigration Law.  She was recognised by Best Lawyers as the 2023 ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for her work in Immigration Law in Sydney.

Katherine is enthusiastic about giving practical and timely advice that addresses the needs of her clients and about maximising efficiency through the innovative use of information technology.  She is also a passionate advocate for wellness and diversity at the Bar.  When she’s not in court, you will probably find her on the tennis court.

Consistently recognised in the Immigration Category of the Australian Financial Review Best Lawyers in Australia from 2012 to 2017, Nick maintains a solid migration law practice. He also practises in the areas of anti-discrimination law and family law.

Nick has appeared as junior counsel in notable decisions in the High Court of Australia and provides high quality advice and representation as sole counsel in other courts and tribunals, including the Federal Circuit Court, Federal Court of Australia, and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (General Division and Migration & Refugee Division). The nature of these matters ranges from legal issues which might arise during the processing or cancellation of visas, to applications for the review of decisions to refuse or cancel a visa.

Prior to being called the Bar, Nick practised as a legal adviser to asylum-seekers in Port Hedland (Western Australia), locum practitioner with the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service in Alice Springs (Northern Territory) and later co-ordinator of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service in Sydney. He was also a Senior Legal Officer with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in Sydney. Nick is the current author of the Judicial Review commentary in the LexisNexis Australian Immigration Law Service.

Admitted to the Bar in both Victoria and New South Wales (and maintaining a practice in both jurisdictions), Nick holds a Master of Laws from the University of New South Wales, a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania. He was one of the first migration agents to be registered in Australia.

Member Dr Bridget Cullen was appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on 1 July 2017, and is cross-assigned to the Migration and Refugee, General, NDIS, and Veterans’ Appeals Divisions.  Dr Cullen predominantly sits in the Migration and Refugee Division, and is the Chair of the Migration and Refugee Division’s Practice Directions Working Group, and oversights the MRD’s referrals to industry regulators, including OMARA.  Prior to her appointment to AAT, Dr Cullen spent 7 ½ years as a Legal Member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Dr Cullen was admitted to the New York Bar in 1995 and the Queensland Bar in 2000.

She is a Nationally Accredited Mediator, and registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, with law degrees from both the State University of New York at Buffalo and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She enjoys teaching, and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Griffith Law School, where she teaches evidence law.