Debra Parker – championing compassion and social impact in law
Debra Parker is a trailblazer in family law, known for combining professional excellence with compassion and community leadership. Through her advocacy, philanthropy, and mentoring, she continues to redefine how law can empower, protect, and uplift families across Canberra.
How did you start down this career path?
I started practising family law several decades ago, at a time when mediation was not fashionable and adversarial approaches were the norm. Women in family law were relatively rare, and proposing mediation was often seen as a sign of weakness rather than strength. What I witnessed, however, was that adversarial litigation was incredibly bruising—not only for clients on both sides, but also for practitioners...