Karen Iles is the Founder and Principal Solicitor of Violet Co Legal & Consulting, a multi-award-winning, 100% Indigenous-owned practice. A Dharug Aboriginal woman and victim-survivor, Karen is a fearless advocate for justice, specialising in workplace law, discrimination, and trauma-informed legal representation.
Karen’s work is at the forefront of Australian law reform, particularly in addressing justice system responses to sexual violence. She was appointed to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Expert Advisory Group and her advocacy for Aboriginal women and children has been spotlighted in The Guardian Australia’s ‘Broken Trust’ series.
In addition to her legal practice, Karen is an Adjunct Professor of Practice at the University of Newcastle and holds several high-impact board appointments, including Our Watch, First Australians Capital, and the National Justice Project. She is a Graduate of the AICD and the recipient of the Law Society of NSW Pro Bono Service Award (2022) and Private Practitioner of the Year (2023). Through her lived experience and professional mastery, Karen is redefining how the law serves those it has historically excluded.
Committee memberships
