Julia Lonergan

{{short description|Australian judge (born 1961)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}

{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable Justice

| name = Julia Lonergan

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| office = Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales

| term_start = 21 March 2017

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| profession = Judge, lawyer

| education = Loreto Kirribilli
Macquarie University
University of Sydney

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1961|1|14}}

| birth_place = Sydney, Australia

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| nationality = Australian

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Julia Lily Ann Lonergan (born 14 January 1961){{cite book |title=Who's Who in Australia |date=2018 |publisher=ConnectWeb}} is an Australian judge who was appointed to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in March 2017.{{cite web | url=http://www.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/media-news/media-releases/2017/New-Supreme-court-judges0308-7633.aspx | title=New NSW Supreme Court judges appointed | publisher=New South Wales Department of Justice| accessdate=5 November 2017}}

Lonergan was born in Sydney and educated at St Patrick's Parramatta and Loreto Kirribilli. She then studied a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney before being admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1983. She began working at her parents' firm, T P and J Lonergan in Parramatta. She then worked for GIO, specialising in insurance litigation, later moving to Suncorp Metway.{{cite web | url=http://www.supremecourt.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Publications/Speeches/2017%20Speeches/Lonergan_20170321.pdf | title=Swearing in ceremony of the Honourable Justice Julia Lonergan as a judge of the Supreme Court of NSW | publisher=Supreme Court of New South Wales|accessdate=5 November 2017}}

Lonergan was admitted as a barrister in 1997, and developed a practice in medical negligence, personal injury and professional negligence, becoming known as an expert in medical negligence. She appeared as a junior barrister for the plaintiff in Simpson v Diamond, which resulted in the highest medical negligence verdict in New South Wales history, leading to changes in the legislation relating to civil liability. Lonergan attained senior counsel status in 2012. From 2013 to 2014, she was counsel assisting a Special Commission of Inquiry into child sex abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. She was elected to the Council of the NSW Bar Association for 2016 in a result that helped block a conservative effort to oust the incumbent members.{{cite news | title=Julie & Julia lead parade for business in Supreme Court | work=Australian Financial Review| date=9 March 2017 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/wig-chamber/17472-cunneen-hails-democratic-process-in-nsw-bar-elections | title=Cunneen hails 'democratic process' in NSW Bar elections | work=Lawyers Weekly | date=10 November 2015 | accessdate=5 November 2017}} Lonergan has served on the equal opportunity committees of both the Law Council of Australia and the New South Wales Bar Association.{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-12/julia-lonergan-nominate-for-award-for-helping-young-femail-lawy/5017620 | title=Julia Lonergan nominated for award for helping young female lawyers | work=ABC News | date=12 October 2013 | accessdate=5 November 2017}}

Lonergan was appointed to the Supreme Court by Attorney-General Mark Speakman with effect from 21 March 2017, filling the vacancy caused by the elevation of Justice Richard White to the Court of Appeal.