Felicity Zempilas began as a lawyer in the criminal section of the Aboriginal Legal Service before becoming a state prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 1996, and later worked as counsel assisting the State Coroner from 2003 to 2009.
Ms Zempilas was appointed a Judge at the District Court of Western Australia in September 2023, after serving as a Magistrate for 14 years since 2009. Initially, she worked as a Magistrate in Kalgoorlie where she heard matters involving criminal, civil, family and mining law over a broad geographical area. In early 2014, she commenced as a Magistrate in Perth, and took up the role of dedicated Magistrate in the Start (Mental Health) Court and Intellectual Disability Diversion program (IDDP) Court from early 2017. She then became the resident Magistrate at Joondalup Magistrates Court where she presided over criminal and civil matters.
Ms Zempilas was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2017 to study mental health courts in the United States.
