About Donna Cooper

Donna has 30 years of experience mediating in family law. She is also an experienced workplace mediator. She has a legal background, is a registered family dispute resolution practitioner (FDRP) and nationally accredited mediator (NMAS). Donna commenced her career as an Articled Clerk at Cooper, Grace and Ward in 1987 and subsequently worked as a family lawyer in that firm. She later worked as a family lawyer at McInnes, Wilson and Jensen, Dixie Ann Middleton and Associates and Legal Aid Queensland. Donna was also a family law consultant at Couper Geysen for several years. Evidence of Donna’s high level of knowledge in family law is her co-authorship of the text Family Law Principles currently used to teach family law in university law schools around Australia.

Donna is a highly experienced FDRP having conducted family mediations since 1993 when she commenced on the Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ), Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner panel. She has continued to conduct parenting and property mediations, both privately and for LAQ, including FDR sessions that often include complex cases, involving allegations of abuse, family violence and Independent Children’s Lawyers. Donna was also previously on the mediator panel of Brisbane Mediations.

As an accredited FDRP and NMAS mediator, Donna has completed extensive training in communication, conflict resolution, power dynamics, including family violence, and children’s developmental needs. She is experienced in managing conflict and keeping discussions focused.

Donna is also an experienced workplace mediator. She has mediated workplace disputes in a variety of employment settings, including legal, government, health, education, business and the mining sector, since 2015. She is currently a sessional conciliator with the Fair Work Commission. She has also been a mediator under the Dispute Resolution Centres Act 1990 (Cth) for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Dispute Resolution Branch since 2021.

Donna has been a leading educator in family law and mediation and lectured for 20 years at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Law School at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in family law, mediation and family dispute resolution. She co-designed and taught courses for FDRP and NMAS accreditation while at QUT. Donna has published extensively in these fields. She continues to mentor future mediators and is a mediation coach and assessor for the College of Law, FDRP and NMAS courses and Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Dispute Resolution Branch NMAS mediation courses.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws, Queensland University of Technology, 1986

  • Admitted as Solicitor, Queensland, 1989

  • Admitted as Practitioner, High Court of Australia, 1990

  • Master of Laws, Queensland University of Technology, 2004

  • Australian Institute of Social Relations, Vocational Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution, Core Units of Competency, 2007

  • Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP), Federal Attorney General’s Dept, 2009, Reg No: F2001865

  • Nationally Accredited Mediator, 2011 (Queensland Law Society)

  • Australian Institute of Social Relations, Vocational Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution, Core Units of Competency, 2007

  • Collaborative Practice Training (The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, 2007)

  • Child Informed Family Dispute Resolution Training, Dr Jennifer McIntosh, Family Transitions, 2011

  • International Family Dispute Resolution on Hague Convention matters (Dr Jamie Walker and Eberhard Carl, MIKK), 2012

  • Consensus Conflict Management Elder Mediating Training 2015

  • Conflict Coaching (CINERGY) 2018

Memberships

  • Family Law Pathways Network Steering Committee (Greater Brisbane Network)

  • Queensland Law Society, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

  • Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland

  • Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia

  • The Resolution Institute

  • Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators

  • Queensland Law Society, Family Law Specialist Accreditation Committee (2003-2014)

  • Queensland Law Society, Family Law Committee (2004-2009)