Karen Iles is an Aboriginal lawyer and survivor advocate inspiring inclusion through courage and reform — blending lived experience, legal insight and powerful storytelling to change how Australia understands and responds to violence against women.
She is the Founder and Principal Solicitor of Violet Co Legal & Consulting, a certified Indigenous social enterprise creating radical solutions and just outcomes for women, gender-diverse and First Nations people.
Through Violet Co, she leads Australia’s first dedicated Sexual Assault Legal Practice, providing pro bono, trauma-informed legal and justice-system navigation support for victim-survivors — particularly Aboriginal women — and developing national CPD training for lawyers and allied professionals.
Her speaking style is warm, direct and deeply human — inviting audiences to see inclusion not as a policy, but as a practice of courage, accountability and care.
Karen’s leadership and recognition include:
- Founder and Principal Solicitor, Violet Co Legal & Consulting
- Adjunct Professor of Practice, University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice
- Board Director: Our Watch · First Australians Capital · Deadly Hearts Ltd · The National Justice Project
- Expert Advisory Group Member, Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry into Justice System Responses to Sexual Violence
- Finalist, NSW Premier’s Women of the Year Awards (2025)
- Private Practitioner of the Year, Women Lawyers Association of NSW (2023)
- NSW Law Society Pro Bono Service Award (2022)
Selected speaking engagements:
- Sydney Opera House – All About Women Festival (War on Women & Shame-less panels)
- EY Australia & Asia Pacific, Unions NSW, RASARA, Norman Disney & Young – 16 Days of Activism / Reconciliation Week
- University of Newcastle, The Sydney Women’s Club, NSW Parliament for Full Stop Australia
- BEING Mental Health Annual Conference Keynote
Regular media commentator on:
- ABC News
- ABC 7.30
- The Project
- The Guardian Australia
- Women’s Agenda
- Mamamia
- 9Honey and more.
Every appearance with Karen leaves audiences moved and motivated — to re-imagine leadership, to understand inclusion as action, and to help build a world in which, justice and inclusion are non-negotiable.
Recent media:
Work featured heavily in the Guardian Aust “Broken Trust” series last year
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/broken-trust
Advocacy on Missing and Murdered First Nations Women
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/14/australias-justice-system-is-failing-indigenous-women-and-children-its-time-for-major-reform-ntwnfb
Testimonials
“Your reflections on resilience, solidarity and courage resonated strongly with our attendees and aligned beautifully with this year’s conference theme. Your message about reclaiming the concept of being staunch in a patriarchal society was referenced throughout the remainder of the conference. WDVCAS workers appreciated your honesty and encouragement to stand firm in both compassion and advocacy.”
“As part of our NAIDOC Week celebrations, we were honoured to host Karen Iles for a powerful session in our My Story speaker series. Karen shared thoughtful insights about her life and on topics of law reform, identity, and advocacy which left a lasting impression and sparked meaningful reflection among all who attended.”