- Helen De Brito appointed Director of Legal Aid WA for a five-year term
Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Helen De Brito as Director of Legal Aid WA.
Ms De Brito has been acting in the role since May 2023 following the resignation of Dr Graham Hill, who was appointed Western Australia’s State Solicitor.
Ms De Brito commenced her legal career at Legal Aid WA in 2005 and has practiced predominantly in criminal law.
In 2011, she was appointed Acting Solicitor in Charge of the Fremantle office, before going on to manage the Legal Practice Development Division and the Criminal Law Division.
In 2019, Ms De Brito was responsible for establishing Legal Aid WA’s Virtual Office service.
She has managed the Graduate Program and Country Lawyers Program and was responsible for establishing wellness mentors at Legal Aid WA.
Most recently, Ms De Brito was instrumental in ensuring the availability of criminal law services during the COVID-19 pandemic, including establishing duty lawyer hubs which were awarded the Best Practice in Innovation COVID, 2022 by the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
Ms De Brito has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Murdoch University, achieving First Class Honours.
Legal Aid WA is jointly funded by the State and Commonwealth Governments.
Comments attributed to Attorney General John Quigley:
“Since joining Legal Aid WA as an Articled Clerk in 2005, Ms De Brito has demonstrated her ability to develop innovative ideas and lead teams through periods of change to deliver shared objectives.
“She is an experienced criminal lawyer in the District Court, Magistrates Court, Children’s Court and regional WA, with a reputation as a committed advocate who achieves consistently positive outcomes for Legal Aid WA’s vulnerable client base.
“Ms De Brito is highly regarded in the broader WA legal community as a leader, lawyer, presenter, trainer, educator and mentor, and will bring considerable skills and experience to this important role.
“I congratulate Ms De Brito on her appointment.”
