The Honourable Ian Coleman was admitted as a lawyer in 1974, called to the NSW Bar in 1975 and appointed as a senior counsel in 2013. He was appointed to the trial division of the Family Court of Australia in 1991, Judge advocate of the Australian defence force in 1992, Commissioner of the Australian law reform commission in 1993, appointed to the appeal division of the Family court in 1999 and was Judge in the Family court of Australia in 2009-2013. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Western Sydney University, School of Law.