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BInSt LLB (UNSW)
Laura Melrose
Solicitor
Expertise
Laura has expertise in native title, cultural heritage and environmental law, intellectual property and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). She is a skilled policy writer and has worked with a range of government and corporate clients to develop both recommendations reports and implementable policies in areas of ICIP, Indigenous Data Sovereignty, First Nations engagement and management of cultural heritage. Laura is experienced in consulting with First Nations stakeholders both online and on Country, and has drafted a variety of agreements for best practice collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations. She is also a regular presenter of TJC’s True Tracks® ICIP Workshop and has presented to a range of audiences, including Indigenous organisations, government agencies, universities, and during conferences.
Experience
Laura was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in October 2020, after graduating with distinction from University of New South Wales with a double Bachelor of Laws / International Studies (International Relations) in 2019. She came to TJC after beginning her legal career working in native title in NSW, and with a background in human rights research. Laura is also a writer and has published articles in a range of peer-reviewed journals and publications, often relating to her personal interest in environmental law and climate change litigation.
Photo by Jamie James
Recent Projects
In 2022 Laura co-presented on protecting Traditional Knowledge and intangible cultural heritage in the native title process at the AIATSIS Summit on Kabi Kabi Country;
In 2021/22 Laura was project manager for a policy project with the Victorian Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning to develop a pioneering Indigenous Data Sovereignty Policy in collaboration with Victorian Traditional Owners;
In 2021, Laura researched and co-wrote a report for the Parliamentary Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at Juukan Gorge, which contributed to the final Inquiry report, A Way Forward;
Author, Emerging trends in Australian climate change litigation: Bringing the heat, Alternative Law Journal (2022)
Co-author, Bushfires, climate change and Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: healing country through holistic environmental management, Australian Environment Review (2021)
Co-author, Applying the Gender Lens to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Report on the Australian Consultation (2018)
Community
Laura has volunteered and worked for the Australian Human Rights Institute, the UNSW Human Rights Clinic, and is a member of the NSW Young Lawyers Human Rights Committee. A former musical theatre performer, she loves to dance and is a passionate supporter of music and the arts. On her days off you will most often find her by the ocean – she loves SCUBA and free-diving, surfing, cryptic crosswords, and exploring this amazing country in her rooftop camper.
