Lisa Coates is a teaching academic and Principal practising lawyer. She holds Masters qualifications in Law (Masters of Applied Laws, Business Transactions). Lisa also holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Teaching from CSU. She was admitted to legal practice in the Supreme Court of the ACT and the High Court of Australia in 2001.

At CSU, Lisa lectures into both the Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree and the Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB). She authored Property Law for the LLB and authors subject content for both degrees. Lisa is a peer reviewer for Salus Journal and Cambridge University Press.

Lisa’s submissions to government include a petition to Federal MP Andrew Gee, Member for Calare in 2017. She supported the position of Rosie Batty, domestic violence advocate and 2015 Australian of the Year, and peak bodies of Australian lawyers nationally who objected to the proposed funding cuts in the 2017 Federal Budget to community legal centres. These funding cuts were later reversed by the Federal Attorney-General. Lisa also made a formal submission evaluating the NSW legislation on adult sexual assault to the New South Wales Law Reform Commission on Consent in Relation to Sexual offences in February 2019.

Prior to joining CSU in 2014, Lisa spent 10 years as a courtroom solicitor. Lisa has worked for global law firms such as DLA Piper in Canberra and boutique plaintiff firms. She regularly appeared before the Magistrates, Children's, Supreme, Federal and Family Courts in Canberra and Melbourne, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Lisa has instructed Senior Counsel on a special leave application before the High Court.

Lisa has represented three of the four major Australian banks and number of landmark Australian companies. She also has experience acting for both plaintiffs and defendants in civil and administrative proceedings, represented criminal defendants in summary and indictable matters, has worked as an in-house advisor to the Australian Federal Police, the Federal Government and as a legal researcher in Canada. In 2021, Lisa opened her own incorporated law firm as principal, Lodestone Business Law https://lodestonebusinesslaw.com.au/home. In 2024, she lent her legal expertise on contract with Danny King Legal, multi- award winning employment law firm on a major project. https://dannykinglegal.com/