Ellen is an Associate Professor in the UNSW Faculty of Law & Justice and a member of the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law. Ellen's primary area of research interest is government accountability and liability, investigating the different legal and non-legal mechanisms that are used to control government power. Ellen's research focuses on themes of government corruption, public trust and accountability structures. Ellen also has a strong interest in the relationship between principles of public law (eg administrative law) and private law (eg torts), and the use of private litigation as a tool of government accountability. Ellen's monograph Measuring Accountability in Public Governance Regimes (Cambridge University Press, 2020) offers a framework for the study of accountability "gaps" and "overloads" in government administration, exploring the negative consequences of both "not enough" and "too much" accountability. Ellen's current research projects are focussed on understanding the most effective ways to enforce and enhance government accountability.

Before her move to academia, Ellen worked as a practicing litigator specialising in administrative law and government liability at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. She currently holds an appointment as an independent legal adviser to the NSW Legislative Council Regulation Committee, assisting the Committee in scrutiny of delegated legislation.

Ellen teaches Administrative Law at UNSW and is available to supervise higher degree research students.