Chair

Rochelle (she/her) chairs the Steering Committee to build a generation of lawyers and advocates with the skills and vision to use law to create social change. She joined the Steering Committee in January 2019. In 2018, she was a member of the refugees and people seeking asylum working group which advocated for the dissolution of Australia’s arrangement with Taiwan for the medical transfer and treatment of people seeking asylum held on Nauru. Outside of RAP, Rochelle works as a lawyer to protect and promote human rights and civil liberties across housing, disability and mental health law, social security and infringements.

Deputy Chair & Criminal Justice Reform Project Coordinator

Kiara (she/her) is the Deputy Chair of RAP, where she oversees the training program for new program advocates. She was formerly a member of the 2020 criminal justice team and was one of the co-authors of RAP’s recent report “Police Panopticon: Zooming in on the Use of Body Worn Cameras by Victoria Police Officers”. Kiara is passionate about social justice and human rights. Outside of RAP, Kiara works to promote human rights and equality as a discrimination and sexual harassment lawyer.

Secretary

Chris (he/him) is RAP's Secretary and formerly RAP’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator. In 2017, he was a volunteer in the Equality & Government Accountability program. Outside of RAP, Chris works as a lawyer in the health and not-for-profit sector.

Refugee & Asylum Seeker Project Coordinator

Isabella (she/her) is a member of the Steering Committee as a Project Coordinator for the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Rights Team. She is currently coordinating a project on indefinite detention in partnership with the Visa Cancellation Working Group. Isabella is a graduate lawyer and has a wide range of legal, policy and advocacy experience relating to Australian refugee law and the treatment of people seeking asylum in Australia, including with the Asylum Seeker Rights Centre's Human Rights Law Program and with the Pro Bono Practice at Russell Kennedy Lawyers. Isabella is a co-author of ‘Bridging the Department’s Visa Blindspot,’ a report released by RAP in April 2021 examining the impact of certain laws that are preventing people seeking asylum and refugees from obtaining bridging visas during the protracted refugee determination process.

Criminal Justice Ongoing Advocacy Coordinator

Arabella (she/her) is a lawyer in Victoria Legal Aid's Civil Justice program. Arabella was a member of the 2019 RAP Criminal Justice team and worked on the report into the Victorian bail system. She joined the steering committee as the Criminal Justice Ongoing Advocacy Coordinator in 2020.