Sarah Haack
Head of Education Education Delivery - QLD
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)- Queensland University of Technology
Graduate Diploma Legal Practice- College of Law
Graduate Certificate Australian Migration Law and Practice- Griffith University
Master of Law (LLM)- University of Melbourne
Australian Legal Practitioner
Sarah has extensive and varied experience as a Solicitor and Government Legal Officer in Criminal Defence, Prosecution, Family Law, Administrative Law and Family and Domestic Violence Law.
She started as a solicitor in a medium sized private criminal defence firm in Brisbane and then combined her defence practice with migration law deportation matters associated with criminal defence files. During this period, she also volunteered at the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service at West End in Brisbane.
After completing the Bar Practice Course in 2010, Sarah moved to an in-house role with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) acting for the Commissioner of Police in a wide range of matters including Coronial Inquests, Police Disciplinary Matters and District Court Appeals. She then transferred into a Civilian Prosecutor Role with QPS in North Queensland, prosecuting a wide range of criminal matters in the Townsville Magistrates Court and other local circuit courts including Palm Island.
Sarah then moved into the Community Legal Centre sector in 2013 commencing a Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer Service as a pilot project for the North Queensland Women’s Legal Service (NQWLS). In this role, Sarah gave advice and legal representation to women in areas of Domestic and Family Violence and Family Law matters. Sarah returned to this role in 2018 after her return to Townsville.
Sarah has resided and practiced as an Australian Legal Practitioner in Victoria.
Sarah has also taught as a sessional academic tutor at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) conducting undergraduate LLB tutorials in Criminal Responsibility and Principles of Sentencing. Sarah has mentored several volunteer university students at NQWLS at the Domestic Violence Court in both client consultations and duty lawyer court appearances.
Memberships
Sarah is a member of the Queensland Law Society and the North Queensland Women’s Legal Service. She currently holds a Queensland Practicing Certificate.
Achievements/Special Interests
Sarah’s professional interests are now in International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law and Laws of Armed Conflict. Sarah focused her studies in her Master of Laws in these areas and continues to study Military Administrative, Military Discipline and Military Operational Law through the Australian Defence Force. She has a strong interest in the education and mentoring of law students.
