Board of Directors
Under the constitution of the Australian Law Librarians' Association Ltd. (ALLA), the ALLA Board of Directors is comprised of at least eight members, holding office for two year from the date of appointment, with eligibility for yearly re-appointment for a further two years. Elections for office are generally held every September at the ALLA AGM.
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To contact the board, please email the President: alla-president@austlawlib.org
2025-2026 Board of Directors
Kate Freedman
President
Kate is an experienced librarian with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry.
A strong education professional skilled in legal librarianship, digital literacy, e-learning, emerging technologies, library science, and library instruction.
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Vice President
Anastasia Stepanovic
Anastasia is a legal librarian with eleven years of experience across private law firms and academic institutions.
In 2022, she received the Australian Law Librarian of the Year award, recognising her contributions to the field.
Anastasia's commitment to advancing the profession includes serving on the Victorian divisional committee since 2016 and as Victorian President from 2018 to 2023.
During her presidency, Anastasia championed the 'Finding the Law Online' course project, successfully rolling out the program nationally, including its launch in Adelaide in 2024.
Anastasia demonstrates persistent commitment to the legal information profession and maintains an energetic vision for ALLA's future growth and development.
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Secretary
Amanda Surrey
Amanda Surrey has been a member of ALLA for a number of years and has held positions as the Victorian Convenor, Organiser of the Finding the Law project, Co convenor of the first joint ALLA-NZLLA conference and is a regular contributor to the ALL journal.
Amanda has a background in Knowledge management, Library and information management and Legal and business research. In her spare time she publishes poetry, short stories and self publishes a graphic / art novel, The Life and Times of a Sri Lankan Panda Bear.
Past President
Laurie Atkinson
Laurie oversees the management of the Law Library of Victoria - an important legal resource for the courts, the legal profession and members of the community, whilst forging a strategic direction for the Library that meets the information needs of all members of the Victorian legal community.
As Supreme Court Librarian, Laurie is an ex officio member of the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria and led the Council’s project to refresh and revitalise the Victorian Reports.
Laurie’s current role includes the management of a nationally significant law library collection: the Victorian Supreme Court Library established in 1851 by Sir Redmond Barry. Books that formed part of the first collection were placed on library shelves in 1852.
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Specialties: Information management, influence, leadership, staff development, change management, nfp and public sector board director, board secretary, company secretary
Treasurer
Susan Fripp
Susan has been a member of ALLA for many years and currently serves as a Faculty Librarian at Macquarie University in Sydney, where she supports the Law School, the Department of Critical Indigenous Studies, and the Department of Philosophy. After starting her career in the corporate sector, she made the leap to higher education in 2016—a move driven by her passion for learning and collaboration.
With extensive experience in corporate legal research and a strong background in teaching legal research skills, Susan thrives on helping others build confidence in their research abilities. She values teamwork and takes pride in being part of high-performing teams that deliver exceptional service. Susan is committed to fostering connections and sharing knowledge, believing that great outcomes come from working together.
Member
Michael Coats
Michael is the Manager Library and Information Services (Vic & Tas) at the Federal Court of Australia. He has been a member of ALLA for 25 years, has been and is again currently the Victorian President, has served on various other roles on the committee of the Victorian Division, and at the national level of the association over many years, and is the Convenor of the 2026 Australian Law Librarians' Association Conference.
Member
Anne Newton
Anne is the Law Librarian at the Australian National University. She conducts training courses for students and researchers, and offers one-on-one research support as required. She is also the collection development librarian for law, and has liaison responsibilities with publishers.
Anne has over twenty years’ experience as a librarian at academic, special and public libraries, and has a keen interest in teaching research skills. Her current passion is in the developing area of AI, and how it will impact both higher education and the legal profession.
Director
Rachel Klesch
Rachel Klesch is an Academic & Research Librarian at Charles Darwin University with extensive experience in legal information, higher education, and research support. She has served in leadership roles within the ALLA Northern Territory Division, including as Co-President, where she contributed to member engagement, professional networking, and advocacy for the law library sector. Rachel is passionate about promoting equitable access to legal information and strengthening the role of law librarians.
Member
Carole Hinchcliff
Carole is the Law School Librarian at the University of Melbourne. Before returning home to Melbourne in 2007, she was Associate Director, Moritz Law Library at The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio, U.S.A.
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Carole is the former Co-CPD Coordinator for ALLA-Vic, a member of the International Federatino of Law Librarias (IFLA) Law Library Committee, a former convener of the Australian & New Zealand Academic and College Law Librarians Group (ANZACLL), and a convener of the Joint Study Institute for law librarians, which was held at the University of Melbourne in 2013 and sponsored b AALL, ALLA, BIALL, CALL/ACBD and NZLLA.