Jessie Taylor BA(Hons) LLB(Hons) MSc(HA) is a trusted advisor and accomplished advocate for a diverse range of clients including corporations, government and statutory agencies, industry bodies, corporations, healthcare providers, private sector enterprises, individuals and advocacy organisations.
Jessie first signed the roll of counsel in 2011. Between 2016 and 2020 Jessie took up a role as Public Defender (Civil Justice) and then Associate Director at Victoria Legal Aid Chambers. She returned to the Bar in 2021 after a secondment to an Executive role in the Department of Health (Victoria).
Prior to being called to the Bar in 2011, Jessie was Associate to Justice Bromberg in the Federal Court of Australia.
Areas of expertise
Jessie enjoys a distinguished career in public law, common law & personal injury, regulatory compliance and trade law.
She is adept at handling a wide range of matters, providing advice and representation in contractual disputes and general civil law matters. Her expertise extends to advising on complex civil litigation, ensuring her clients receive comprehensive strategic and legal support tailored to their specific needs.
Jessie provides expert advice and representation in public law matters, with a a particular interest in health law, executive power, statutory interpretation, and human rights.
In respect of her common law & personal injury practice, she has a particular interest in institutional liability, medical negligence, and the intersection of injury law with human rights and racism. Jessie takes a trauma-informed approach to her work.
Jessie also practises in regulatory compliance and trade law, including supply chain hygiene, due diligence, disputes arising between parties in import transactions, and other regulatory compliance issues. She acts for the Australian Timber Importers’ Federation in a range of advisory matters and in litigation.
Governance roles & memberships
Jessie was first elected to the Victorian Bar Council in 2022, and is currently serving her third consecutive term (2024-25).
She was the President of the Victorian Council for Civil Liberties (Liberty Victoria) from 2016 to 2019. She is a former Director of Donkey Wheel Ltd (2018-2024) and a founding member of The Justice Project Inc (2003).
Jessie is a member of the Australian Lawyers’ Alliance, the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and the Law (ANZAPPL), the Australian Institute of Administrative Law (AIAL), and the Australian-Hazara Legal Network.
She was Chair of the LIV’s Refugee Law Reform Committee and sat on the Executive
Committee of the LIV Administrative and Human Rights Law section (2009 & 2010).
She speaks French and Hazaragi (Dari).
Jessie is a Foundation Member of Parnell’s Barristers. She read with Bill Gillies, and her senior mentor is Julian W K Burnside AO KC.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
