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Ian Coleman was appointed as an acting judge of the District Court of New South Wales, and a Principal Member of the Civil and Administrative Tribunal of New South Wales in 2021. He continues to serve in the civil division of the District Court, and in the appeal, occupational and contempt divisions of the Tribunal.

Ian was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1974. In 1975 he was admitted to the New South Wales Bar, and read with Peter, later Justice, Moss QC.

In 1991, Ian was appointed to the trial division of the Family Court of Australia. From 1992 to 1997, he was a Judge Advocate of the Australian Defence Force, serving under the Judge Advocate Rear-Admiral the Hon A R O Rowlands AO, RFD, VRD. From 1993 to 2003, he served as a part-time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission, for much of that period under the leadership of the Hon Elizabeth Evatt AC.

In 1999, Ian was appointed to the appeal division of the Family Court where he served until 2013. From 2009 to 2013, he was the Western Plains Judge, based at Dubbo.

Ian returned to the Bar in 2013, practising from Culwulla Chambers, Sydney and William Owen Chambers Orange, and practised in equity, administrative and family law jurisdictions. From 2013 to 2017, Ian was an adjunct professor in the School of Law, UWS.