Sophie Cotsis was born in Canterbury and grew up in the St George district. The majority of her primary schooling was spent at Canterbury South Public School and then Kingsgrove Public School and Kingsgrove High School.
Sophie attended Macquarie University, completing a Bachelor of Arts in 1995 and undertaking a Masters of Legal Studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Sophie previously worked in retail, as a shiftworker, Sydney Airport, Project Officer at Labor Council of NSW and as an Organiser with the Liquor and Hospitality Division of the LHMU.
Sophie's community involvements include being a friend of the St George Hospital Lamrock Committee, having previously volunteered to help raise funds for St George Hospital and Macquarie University Hellenic Studies Foundation that sought to establish a permanent program to secure course options for the wider university student population wanting to study Hellenic history, literature, culture and language. She is also an associate member St George Leagues Club, member Souths Juniors and Kingsgrove RSL, the Liquor and Hospitality Division of the LHMU and a voluntary member Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She was a Policy Advisor in the Office of Hon. Michael Costa, the Minister for Transport and Treasurer, who later became a Manager at Parsons Brinckerhoff an infrastructure company.
Sophie was elected to the NSW Legislative Council in September 2010 and appointed as the Shadow Minister for Local Government, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Shadow Minister for the Status of Women
Sophie's interests are in history, reading, swimming, basketball, soccer and rugby league. She is married with two children.
Sophie is the Duty MLC for Maitland, Port Stephens and Smithfield.