Ella Scown

This role involves analysing and assessing complex case information to make sound and evidence-based recommendations regarding case progression, risk and decision making.

• Act with a high degree of autonomy to plan, manage and prioritise a caseload to meet the departmental objectives and key performance indicators.
• Be a named point of contact for nurses and midwives, referrers, witnesses, and other stakeholders during our enquires, providing appropriately timed updates.
• Proactively identify risks and complexities within cases and ensure relevant advice is taken without delay and documented appropriately.

This role involved designing, implementing and leading a remote team whose task was to draft legal submissions on behalf of national prosecution.

• Created efficient processes that enhanced team productivity and were streamlined for efficiency.
• Developed team member's skills through targeted coaching sessions, resulting in improved performance.
• Lead the team to execute projects on time and with high-quality outcomes.

This is a criminal litigation role requiring an advanced understanding of prosecutions, legislation and judicial authorities.

• Collaborated with law enforcement for improved investigations, resulting in higher conviction rates.
• Provided an independent review of evidential sufficiency and public interest in relation to each charge.
• Presented compelling prosecution cases by meticulously researching and preparing legal arguments and evidence.
• Confidently appeared in Court for first appearances, bail hearings, case management discussions, legal arguments, pre-trial arguments, sentencing and Judge Alone Trials.

This role was a ten-month secondment. I was the sole prosecutor in charge of servicing two Courts within a large geographical area.

• Individually responsible for adhering to deadlines.
• Represented the prosecution service with professionalism by building and maintaining internal and external partnerships.
• Ability to seek opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and experience through self-leadership.

This was an eight-week secondment leading a team of thirteen. I managed and administered prosecutorial resources to deliver to approved national standards.

• Ensured compliance with Solicitor General's Prosecution Guidelines.
• Facilitated a successful cross-functional collaboration for the completion of a key project within the justice sector.
• Established team priorities, maintained schedules and enabled staff to be high performing.

This graduate role was for the Crown Solicitor's Office and New Zealand's largest litigation firm. It was the role that initiated my passion for criminal law.

• Reduced research time for Crown Counsel by conducting thorough legal research and compiling relevant information.
• Expedited resolution of cases through meticulous coordination of disclosure processes.
• Assisted in the development of persuasive arguments by reviewing the oppositions materials and identifying weaknesses and inconsistencies.