Townsville District Law Association
Promoting confidence and goodwill between the community and the legal profession.
The Townsville District Law Association (TDLA) is the Queensland Law Society recognised law association for the Townsville area as well as the Burdekin, Hinchinbrook and Goldfield regions.
The TDLA represents the interests of local lawyers with the Queensland Law Society and other organisations in relation to issues of concern for members.
The TDLA has over 300 members, which represents a large portion of lawyers in the region
The objectives of the TDLA are to:-
Collaborate
Bring members of the local legal profession closer together by distributing a regular newsletter and hosting functions;
Represent
Represent the interest of local lawyers by lobbying in relation to issues relevant to the local profession;
Assist
Assist members with their professional development requirements by lobbying for and coordinating CPD seminars; and
Educate
Create closer ties with the James Cook University Law School staff and students, to assist with the intergration of graduates into the legal profession in the region.
Join the Townsville District Law Association
The Membership of the TDLA consists of three classes of members:Ordinary Members
For people practising law in Townsville
Associate Members
For lawyers residing in Townsville who are not currently in legal practice
Social Members
For non-lawyers who have a connection to the legal profession in Townsville
Ordinary Members
An Ordinary Member is a person who:
now holds or previously held a practising certificate under the provisions of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (whether or not practising on their own account) who has not been barred from holding such certificate and who lives within the Northern Supreme Court District of Queensland; or
has been admitted as a legal practitioner as recognised by the Supreme Court of Queensland and who lives within the Northern Supreme Court District of Queensland.
Associate Members
Associate Members are persons who are an Australian Lawyer or currently undertaking any course of training or work experience designed to qualify as a person for admission as an Australian Lawyer, who lives within the Northern Supreme Court District of Queensland.
Social Members
To be a Social Member, a person must be ineligible to be an Ordinary Member or an Associate Member and reside within the Northern Supreme Court District of Queensland. Further, the person must have some affiliation with the legal fraternity.
Office Bearers
President
Sarah Singh
Sarah is a solicitor in Townsville, North Queensland and is the Practice Leader at Splatt Lawyers. She holds a dual degree in law and business and has been practising in the area since 2012. She is passionate about supporting the local community, was the TDLA Vice President in 2022, and also volunteers for the Townsville Hospital Foundation and North Queensland Women’s Legal Service.
Vice-President
Bronte Crowley
Bronte hails from South East Queensland and practices in family law. Since her relocation to Townsville, Bronte has shown enthusiasm at being involved in the community and to creating opportunities for other legal professionals to meet and mingle, and to be provided with support and resources when needed. In particular, Bronte is a keen participant in TDLA’s Trivia Night and never turns down a Christmas Party invite.
Treasurer
Kayla Doig
Kayla is currently a Legal Support Officer at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Kayla completed a Bachelor of Laws degree at James Cook University in 2021 and was admitted as a Solicitor to the Supreme Court of Queensland on 25 November 2022. Throughout her studies, she travelled the world performing as an skater for Disney on Ice.
Secretary
Jess Shuttleworth
Jess is a solicitor at wilson/ryan/grose lawyers and is an avid volunteer and supporter of community groups in Townsville. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Business, Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, and Master of Applied Law in Family Law. She ran a successful firm for many years and is a member of the Townsville Business Women's Circle.
Committee Members
Committee member
Ji Burton
Ji joined the TDLA in 2020 with a focus on extending support networks and social events for newly admitted Members. Ji commenced his career with local Firm Connolly Suthers in 2018 in their Personal Injuries Litigation Department. Ji also mentors local JCU Law Students through the JCU-Chamber of Commerce joint initiative in further support of the up and coming profession.
Committee member
Isobelle Hewitt
Isobelle commenced work with Legalsense NQ Lawyers in 2022 as a paralegal after completing her Bachelor of Laws degree at James Cook University in 2021. She was admitted as a Solicitor in 2022 and works in the family law and estate planning/administration teams. Isobelle looks forward to being a part of the Townsville District Law Association Committee.
Committee member
Courtney O'Brien
Courtney is a solicitor at Donnie Harris Law, joining the firm in 2014. She started as a paralegal, and is now the office manager and conveyancing solicitor. She completed her Bachelor of Laws at James Cook University and aims to focus on property law after her admission as a solicitor. She has joined the TDLA Committee to use her wide skill-set to help others in the community.
Committee member
William Hunter
William has a passion to help others understand the law. He joined Purcell Taylor Lawyers as a law graduate and was admitted as a lawyer in 2021. He studied a Bachelor of Laws at James Cook University and completed his Practical Legal Training through the College of Law. He mainly works in criminal and compensation Law and has joined the TDLA committee to help the local community.
Committee member
Erlinda Nunn
Erlinda is a solicitor at Connolly Suthers. She commenced work as a trainee solicitor in 2018 after completing her Bachelor of Laws with Honours at James Cook University and now specialises in property law, estate planning, administration, and personal injury. She is committed to helping in the local community and has joined the TDLA committee in 2022.
Committee member
Emily Olditch
After completing her degree in Brisbane and undertaking an associateship at the Parole Board, Emily returned to her hometown of Townsville to begin her career as a solicitor. She current works as a prosecutor for the Queensland Police Service after working as solicitor at Navarro Lawyers. Emily's aim is to encourage positive relationships between early career lawyers as well as the profession generally.
Committee member
Deanna Musemeci
Deana is a barrister, based in 31 Sturt Chambers in Townsville, having come to the bar in 2021 after ten years working as a solicitor. She is an avid contributor to the community, and in addition to being a well-loved and respected long-term committee member of the TDLA, she is a foster carer for Angel Paws, a volunteer family lawyer at both Townsville Community Law, and the North Queensland Women's Legal Service, and serves on the ethics committee of the Townsville Hospital.
Committee member
Andrew Maxwell
Andrew came to the law late in his career after deciding that he would practice law to help disadvantaged people access quality legal representation. Andrew is passionate about being the voice of practitioners who have made a decision to become lawyers late in their careers. Andrew hopes that by being a committee member on the TDLA, he can provide a different perspective based on his experience in areas other than the law.
Committee member
Simon Walker
Simon is a freelance educator, IT professional, academic, and volunteer solicitor. He currently teaches cybersecurity law at the University of Southern Queensland as well as legal studies and digital technologies at secondary school level. He is committed to experiential learning and building simulation-based assessment tools to help non-lawyers build robust skills for civic life.
Committee member
Troydon Maltby
Troydon was born in Townsville and began his legal career in Mt Isa as a legal assistant while studying at James Cook University. He was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2018 and now works at Resolute Legal in criminal law, conveyancing, wills and estates, and family law. He has a passion for criminal law worked as a criminal lawyer for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service upon returning to Towsville in 2019.
Committee member
Karyna Hansen
Karyna hails from Ukraine and has undertaken a legal career after working as a medical researcher. She has degrees in dentistry, biologicial sciences, and law and currently works as a legal officer at the Australian Taxation Officer.
Committee member
Patrick Staunton
Patrick works as an associate at Connelly Suthers and practises mainly in criminal law. He completed his law degree through James Cook University and was admitted to the legal profession in 2021.