Trudi Aickin was admitted to the bar in New South Wales in 2000 and to the High Court of New Zealand in 2004. She joined Riverlands Chambers as a barrister sole in 2009, where she has built a diverse practice spanning criminal law, civil litigation, regulatory matters, and public inquiries. She appears regularly in the appellate courts and represents criminal defendants on a wide range of matters from driving to murder. She is known for her thorough preparation, careful advocacy, and ability to adapt to complex and sensitive cases.

Before turning to the law, Trudi worked as a translator and field producer for ABC Television and Radio in Russia and the former USSR from 1989 to 1991, followed by several years as a researcher and producer for ABC Television in Australia. After completing her legal studies, she began her legal career at Freehills in Sydney, practising in information technology, competition law, and litigation. During this time, she was seconded both in-house to Telecom New Zealand in Sydney and to Shopfront Legal Centre, a pro bono service representing homeless and disadvantaged young people in the Sydney criminal and youth courts.

From 2005 to 2008, Trudi worked as a criminal barrister at Central Australian Legal Aid in the Northern Territory, before moving to Christchurch, where she served as a Police Prosecutor from 2008 to 2009. Since joining Riverlands Chambers, she has maintained a wide-ranging practice and has been instructed in significant cases, including her appointment in 2022–2023 to assist the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. Alongside her practice, she has contributed to the community by providing free legal advice through Christchurch Community Law (2018–2020).

Trudi holds a BA (Hons) (Russian) from Otago University (1988), a Post Graduate Diploma in Russian translation (Pushkin Institute,Moscow) (1990) and an LLB from the University of New South Wales (2000). She is admitted to practise in the High Court of New Zealand, the High Court and Federal Court of Australia, and the Northern Territory of Australia.

In addition to English, she speaks Russian and French. Her international background, combined with her legal expertise, enables her to bring a unique perspective to her work.

Outside of work, Trudi enjoys endurance trail running, skiing, swimming and being outside generally with her dog.