Julia Grix

Fulbright Professional Scholar

Media Profile

“Young people in our criminal justice system, especially the most vulnerable among them, require a more just and humane response than is currently afforded by the tenor of the law at this time. Holistic advocacy is needed to better protect their liberty. I will be developing a model of ‘best practice’ for the representation of children and young people charged with criminal offences in an era of anxiety about law and order.”

Julia Grix currently works as a criminal defence lawyer with the NSW Legal Aid Commission. She obtained a BA of Communications from UTS before undertaking her LLB at The University of NSW, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. She has now won a Fulbright Professional Scholarship through which she will undertake a placement with the New York Legal Aid Society (Juvenile Offender Division) and the Bronx Defenders in order to explore and integrate some of the innovative approaches to juvenile indigent defence work undertaken in the U.S. by these leaders in the field.

“In both countries our laws have become increasingly punitive as a result of community anxiety about law and order,” says Julia. “This has resulted in a criminal justice system that treats children increasingly like adults and penalises them accordingly – as evidenced by the use of harsher sentencing regimes throughout Australia and the U.S. Such a tendency impacts disproportionately on disadvantaged groups, resulting in the over-representation of Indigenous young people and those with disabilities. As a result, the role of criminal defence practitioners is fundamental to the protection and enforcement of the rights of children in conflict with the law.

“Innovations in the representation of young people developed by the New York Legal Aid Society and the Bronx Defenders have the potential to inspire juvenile defence lawyers throughout Australia similarly grappling with the impact of ‘law and order’ inspired polices and laws. The Bronx Defenders, a nationally recognised model of community-based holistic advocacy, is dedicated to providing compassionate advocacy that combats the causes and collateral consequences of criminal involvement.”

Julia says that such a model results in better outcomes not only for young people in conflict with the law, but also for the community at large. She sees this as helping to bridge an obvious gap in service provision to children in the criminal justice system. “Almost a decade ago, the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission endorsed a model for the representation of children that incorporated multi-disciplinary advocacy. This model has yet to be developed.”

Recognised as an outstanding legal representative of children by her peers, Julia has vast experience in advocating for youth, particularly those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness. She has spent many years working with and representing children in socially and economically disadvantaged metropolitan communities as well as in remote rural areas. Drawing on her own experience of overcoming significant adversity as a young person, “studying law became a practical means through which I could contribute to social justice for young people as an adult”.