Francis has had successful extensive experience in general community legal practice. He was part of the Legal Advice Clinic at the Adelaide Magistrates Court, a joint project of the University of Adelaide Law School and the Flinders University Law School. The Legal Advice Clinic provides legal services to unrepresented litigants in the minor civil claims jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court of South Australia.

Francis practiced extensively in civil, criminal, family and general law areas as an employed legal practitioner at the Angle Park, Thebarton and Port Pirie offices of Westside Community Lawyers Incorporated before establishing FNE Lawyers in 2004.

He has a special interest in access to justice issues, equity law, and in engineering and technology law generally.

Francis holds a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Automotive Engineering Design. An experienced Mechanical Engineer and a Graduate Member of the Institution of Engineers Australia, he studied law at the Flinders University of South Australia and won the Butterworth Price in Public Law and Regulations in 2000.