Directors
Welcome to the Social Justice and Equity Portfolio!
The Social Justice and Equity (SJE) Portfolio is a combined initiative connecting Undergraduate and Postgraduate Law Students at Monash.
Your 2025 Directors, Phoenix Ettelson (LLB) and Venessa Thomas (She/Her) (Postgraduate), oversee the six offices within the portfolio and serve as your first point of contact for any overarching issues or inquiries.
Feel free to reach out to us at socialjusticeandequity@monashlss.com. We’re here to support you in your journey towards making a meaningful impact!
Indigenous Officer
Ashlie MacPhee (She/her) Indigenous Officer
Hi! My name is Ashlie, and I am super excited to serve as the Indigenous Officer for the Monash Law Student Society in 2025. As a proud Worimi Woman from the coastline of New South Wales, I bring my heritage and lived experiences to this role with deep pride and responsibility. Now in my third year of studying Law and Criminology and my third term as an LSS committee member, I remain passionate about fostering greater awareness and inclusion of Indigenous perspectives within our law school community.
Having grown up in regional Victoria, I understand the importance of creating spaces where students from diverse backgrounds feel heard, respected, and supported. My goal as Indigenous Officer is to champion initiatives that educate, inspire, and engage, while working collaboratively to build a more inclusive and culturally aware environment.
Through events like the annual Indigenous Panel, NAIDOC Week, and Reconciliation Week, I aim to highlight the voices and contributions of Indigenous peoples in the legal field. I am committed to fostering meaningful conversations and creating opportunities for dialogue and understanding, ensuring that the values of respect, equity, and reconciliation are upheld and celebrated within our community.
Please feel free to contact me at indigenousofficer@monashlss.com anytime
Women’s Officers
Hello! We are Ki Li Clark (She/Her) LLB Women’s Officer and Zara Nazikian (She/Her) PG Women’s Officer. As the Monash LSS Women’s Officer’s, we are excited to represent and create a positive impact for our peers and strive to inspire and empower others to unlock opportunities and resources.
We’re thrilled to announce a diverse lineup of events for 2025, celebrating women in law and fostering connection, inspiration, and growth. Here’s what’s in store: International Women’s Day, the Women in Law Breakfast, a Leadership Seminar, Women in Law Pathways and Possibilities Event, the Women in Law Bar Night and our ongoing support initiative of the Women’s Liberation Halfway House.
Our wonderful Women’s Subcommittee in 2025 includes Amber Dwivedi, Anika Ojha and Emily Duffin (LLB); and Natasha Grasso, Parneet Kaur and Pru Litster (PG)
If you have any questions, please contact Ki Li Clark at womensofficer@monashlss.com (LLB) or Zara Nazikian at pg.womensofficer@monashlss.com (PG)!
Queer Officers
Hi! We are Phoenix Menz (she/they) (LLB) and Catherine Wicks (they/them) (PG), and we are your Queer Officers for 2025! We are thrilled to represent, support and promote the thriving queer community within Monash and the wider legal sector.
Our primary focus is centred on representing and promoting the interests of LGBTQIA+ law students. Accordingly, we will work to expand the scope of opportunities tailored to queer students, and to continue our predecessors’ efforts in fostering a safe, inclusive and diverse community environment. We strongly value the importance of promoting awareness of the diverse ways that intersectionality operates within the broader queer experience. As such, we are both intent on advancing the voices of students and professionals with intersectional identities and lived experiences.
We are so excited to share the stacked lineup of events we have planned for 2025! Starting off strong, we are delighted to announce that we will be working alongside Pride in Law, together launching a networking event to facilitate mentorship opportunities for LGBTQIA+ law students in March. Further events will include the Queer Professional Panel and Networking Night in May, the Queer x POC Social Night in August, and the Monash x Melbourne Queer Mixer in September. We can’t wait to get started!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Phoenix at queerofficer@monashlss.com or Catherine at pg.queerofficer@monashlss.com if you have any questions, issues, interests, or just want to say hello. We are excited to get to know you all, and we are here to support you!
POC Officers
Srushti Shah (she/her) PG POC Officer:
Hello! My name is Srushti and I am a second year Juris Doctor Law student and the post-grad LSS POC officer for this year! During my term I really want to establish a supportive community that champions inclusivity as well as create opportunities for POC in the legal world.
My commitment to promoting opportunities for POC individuals is rooted in my diverse cultural background as a first-generation Indian Australian migrant. Growing up, especially in high school, I was one of the only people of colour I’ve come to really cherish all the opportunities that Melbourne offers to our community and I want to ensure that other people have access to those same opportunities.
Esha Serai (she/her) LLB POC Officer:
Hey! I’m Esha and I am in my fourth year of a Bachelor of Laws and Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree. I come from a Pakistani migrant background and I have been passionate about enhancing the diversity of our legal profession and supporting POC students since my first year.
Srushti and I are committed to offering an amazing array of events this year for the POC community at Monash University. Whether that be the annual Cultural Diversity Networking Night, Taste the World Dinner or our Chai and Chats. We are also excited to introduce the very first POC x Queer networking event in 2025, highlighting the unique intersectionality of our student community and allowing for genuine student connections to foster.
We are also super grateful to be supported by our POC Subcommittee, composed of a group of passionate and driven individuals who share our vision in increasing the inclusivity of the legal profession.
If you have any questions or seek any form of guidance, please feel free to reach out to me at bipocofficer@monashlss.com (LLB) or Srushti at pg.bipocoffcer@monashlss.com (PG)
SJE Publications
Fiona Li (she/her) SJE Publications Officer:
Hi! My name is Fiona and I’m in my second year of studying Commerce and Law and this year’s SJE Publications Officer! Our publications such as the SJE Guide, The Reasonable Observer Blog and Writing Competition, provide platforms for students to explore and engage with social justice and equity issues, particularly their intersection with the law. These initiatives aim to foster meaningful conversations and equip students with the resources needed to make a positive impact in the social justice space.
Behind the scenes, our incredible Publications Subcommittee, including Angela Cremona, Sophie Farlecas, Tanya Hidella and Wendy Huang for the SJE Guide and Grace Foo, Jasmine Shanmugham, Sana Sharma and Lisa Zheng for The Reasonable Observer, will be working hard to bring these visions to life.
If you have any questions, suggestions or contributions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at equitypublications@monashlss.com. I look forward to a year of impactful storytelling and advocacy!
Just Leadership Program Officers
Hi, I’m Emily and I have the privilege of co-coordinating the Just Leadership Program! I’m deeply passionate about emphasising the intersectionality of law, social justice, and advocacy, as well as empowering young people to become leaders who drive change. Outside of my role, I’m an avid reader, with an affinity for modernist and feminist literature (6’2 btw), and I’m an immensely diverse consumer of music. I believe in the importance of open-mindedness and empathy as a philosophy and I’m very excited to create an accepting space where all ideas and voices can flourish.
Hello, I’m Pakhi, one of the co-coordinators for the JLP 2025. As I progress into the third year of my degree, I’ve become increasingly aware of the underlying social justice and equality issues underpinning our law units and the essential role that programs like the JLP play in addressing the critical intersection between these issues and Australian law. I’m passionate about crafting practical solutions for SJE issues that consider both legal frameworks and broader social contexts. In 2025, I look forward to collaborating with individuals who are committed to driving meaningful change and fostering a more just society .