Creating a Statewide Mentoring Culture at the NSW ODPP
with Adelle Hudson, Managing Solicitor, ODPP
Mentorloop Impact Award Winner 2025
The New South Wales Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is Australia’s largest prosecuting agency, with over 1,100 staff across the state. In 2022, they launched a mentoring program for paralegals to support learning, confidence, and career progression.
The New South Wales Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is the independent prosecuting authority for serious crime under NSW law. With 1,100 staff and 110 paralegals across the state, ODPP plays a vital role in delivering justice for the community.
To strengthen its future workforce, ODPP launched the Paralegal Mentoring Program in 2022. The program helps paralegals gain confidence, skills, and real-world experience in criminal law while completing their studies. By 2025, it had grown to 179 participants across 10 offices.
“The programme provides support and guidance for paralegals to gain valuable experience in a prosecution environment whilst they complete their studies.”
– Adelle Hudson, Managing Solicitor, ODPP
A Growing Program in Need of Structure ⚖️
The program started strong with 105 participants — but rapid growth brought challenges.
- Paralegals wanted more structure, accountability, and resources
- Coordinators found it hard to manage cohorts across multiple offices
- Manual processes slowed reporting and limited scalability
"As coordinator, it was becoming tricky to meet the increasing needs of the programme as it continued to expand."
The Solution: Mentorloop 💡
In 2024, ODPP adopted Mentorloop to give the program the structure, scalability, and simplicity it needed.
With Mentorloop, ODPP can now:
- Streamline onboarding & matching for large cohorts
- Centralise communication, resources & feedback in one place
- Track progress and sentiment in real time
- Generate effortless monthly reports for executives
“Participants wanted more structure, increased engagement and accountability, and access to resources. In 2024, we onboarded Mentorloop and it delivered all of these things.”
The Impact: Real Stories, Real Results 🌟
The difference was felt immediately — both in the numbers and in the stories that came back from participants.
- Mentoring Quality Score: 4.66
- Consistent 5-star reviews after meetings
- Direct, personal feedback from paralegals
“I was really pleased when a paralegal stopped me in the corridor to say they love their mentoring match.”
Making Mentoring Accessible Across NSW 🌍
ODPP’s program spans 10 offices, from Sydney CBD to Dubbo and Lismore. With Mentorloop, cross-office matches are now seamless — enriching experiences with diverse perspectives and supporting succession planning in regional offices.
The program also:
- Pairs like groups (e.g., working parents, second-career paralegals)
- Promotes mentoring in new-start inductions to drive awareness
- Ensures every paralegal has access to a mentor, regardless of location
The ROI of Mentoring with Mentorloop 📈
Mentorloop delivers impact for participants and the organisation:
- Time saved – Automated feedback & reporting reduce admin load
- Better engagement – Stronger participation & accountability
- Executive visibility – Monthly highlights shared effortlessly
- Reduced risk – No more errors from manual spreadsheets
“Mentorloop does the heavy lifting in relation to setup and coordination. Reporting is almost effortless, and the resources available to participants have reduced the training load for the programme.”
What’s Next for ODPP 🚀
ODPP’s goal is to embed mentoring into the culture of its workforce — so paralegals carry mentoring values throughout their careers in criminal law.
Priorities include:
- Goal-based matching to support specific career aspirations
- Expanded cross-office mentoring
- Expanded cross-office mentoring
A Program That’s Built to Last
From its launch in 2022 with 105 participants to a statewide initiative of 179 paralegals in 2025, the ODPP’s mentoring program has gone from strength to strength.
With Mentorloop, ODPP now has the structure, scalability, and insights to keep growing — without losing the personal connections that make mentoring so impactful.
📌 Ready to scale your mentoring program and prove its impact?
Adelle Hudson
Managing Solicitor, ODPP
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Mentorloop does the heavy lifting in relation to the setup and coordination of the programme. At a keep I can monitor meeting feedback, goal setting, and program sentiment...and reporting is almost effortless. I actually enjoy updating the executive sponsor each month!
– Adelle Hudson, Managing Solicitor, ODPP
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