Janelle Schonknecht (formerly Payne) is an Acting Magistrate appointed to the Magistrates Court of Queensland in 2023. Janelle brings to Vienna over 20 years of commercial mediation experience, including 12+ years as a respected commercial barrister and her past experience as a Senior Associate at Australasia’s largest law firm. She was a founding member of Mediate Australia and was an assessor in 2023. From 2020 until her appointment, Janelle trained Court registrars as mediators with her team going on to win awards for their alternative dispute resolution services. Janelle has conducted hundreds of commercial and industrial relations mediations in her prior role as a court Registrar. Janelle and her husband live on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, with their 5 children, 3 cows, and a horse!