Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

Australia and its legal profession are embracing diversity more than ever before. Here, one Indigenous law student reflects on her experience interning with a BigLaw firm and how others can put themselves forward for more and better opportunities. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with McCabes intern Lara Jash, a Yuin and Kamilaroi woman, about how and why she came to study law and her experience in the profession thus far, the internship program she is undertaking with one of the nation’s biggest law firms and what it entails, and the broader perspective the internship has offered her into the promotion of diversity in the legal profession. Jash also discusses her perception of the experience of Indigenous law students, the sense of isolation that many feel and how best to overcome it, the need to put one’s self out there and be “bubbly”, how best to put one’s self forward for recognition and advancement, why more law firms should champion diversity for Indigenous Australians, and her optimism that the profession can continue to progress on such matters. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Evolve Resolve, we unpack how lawyers can become more than just technically proficient and transition into leaders that the professional services marketplace both needs and increasingly demands. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Evolve Resolve founder and director Damien van Brunschot about his journey in the legal profession (including being managing partner of the Australian arm of a global firm), how he developed leadership capabilities in law, and why he thinks the development of leadership skills in the legal workplace is still often overlooked. The truth is that for many lawyers, they are simply expected to figure it out themselves.

In this episode, van Brunschot also delves into the flow-on consequences of not effectively investing in the teaching of practical leadership skills, including how law firm leaders can meaningfully make time to invest and develop the next generation of leaders. For those intent on climbing the ladder, including emerging leaders, the skills and mindset required to achieve promotion are also covered.

Tune in and unpack the journey from technical proficiency to law firm and business leader.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

As someone who loves sports and loves being a lawyer, sports arbitration is the “best job in the world” for Alexis Schoeb. Here, he reflects on the nature of such work, recent high-profile disputes, and why he thinks this practice area can and will grow exponentially in Australia in the near future. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Peter & Kim partner Alexis Schoeb about his background practising arbitration, including sports arbitration, in Switzerland for two decades, how his passion for sports provides motivation for his work as a lawyer, what the day-to-day looks like for sports arbitration lawyers, and the cyclical nature of work in this space. Schoeb also delves into the state of affairs for sports arbitration in Australia, why he sees such massive opportunities for practitioners Down Under to grow this practice area domestically, recent and notable cases in sports arbitration, the influence of social, cultural and even geopolitical considerations in such legal work, being both a counsellor and arbitrator and drawing the distinction where required, his predictions for the sports arbitration market ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, and his advice to those interested in a career in such work.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

At present, the National Children’s Commissioner says, Australia is failing to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children is a priority. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by  National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, from the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), to discuss the recently released report – ‘Help way earlier!’: How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing – and what it says about the urgent need to better ensure justice outcomes for Australian youth. Hollonds delves into her role and why it is needed, the key findings and takeaways from the AHRC report, the flow-on consequences of such poor safety and justice frameworks, what the report says about who Australia is as a nation, the need for a National Children’s Act, and how lawyers can better improve safety and wellbeing outcomes for children across the country moving forward.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Nikolina Tully runs Australia’s first all-pink law firm (with an all-pink café attached to the firm’s premises). Here, she discusses her strategy and motivation behind such colour-based branding – including to provide hope for clients.

In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Tully Law founder and legal practice director Nikolina Tully about her early years in the legal profession, how and when she decided to launch her own firm in the personal injury space, initially opting against all-pink branding but eventually deciding to lean into what she truly wanted for her business.

Tully explains the psychology behind her colour-based branding and why it is so beneficial for clients, why she attached an all-pink café to the firm’s premises, how she has brought the entire business along for the ride in embracing pink as a theme, the importance of thinking outside the box with one’s law firm branding (particularly in a crowded market like personal injury), and her broader guidance to aspiring or existing firm owners about setting one’s self and one’s business apart from the competition.

Both personally and professionally, there is much that a firm owner will learn in the first 12 months of operating a legal practice. Here, we unpack some of the headline lessons, surprises, and tricks that one award-nominated practitioner has gleaned. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes M de Mestre Lawyers founder Mary-Ann de Mestre to discuss what the past 12 months since the inception of her firm have been like, whether she has been able to hold true to her founding mission, demystifying what the first year is like, the non-negotiable things that new firm owners must know, and how overwhelming it can be to start one’s own practice.

De Mestre also delves into what has surprised her in the first year, the extent to which she has had to be more of a businessperson than a lawyer, navigating the idea of rebuilding the plane as it is falling out of the sky, tinkering with the broader strategy, and the most important practical steps to take. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

This year, national law firm Caroll & O’Dea celebrates its 125th anniversary. Here, its managing partner reflects on the firm’s journey and where it sees itself moving forward. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Caroll & O’Dea managing partner Hanaan Indari about having spent her entire career at the one firm, how she rose to become its managing partner, the challenge of taking over the firm at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the firm’s approach to flexible working.

Indari also reflects on the firm’s history and how it got to be where it currently sits in the professional services marketplace, the longstanding traditional values that the firm looks to uphold, where the firm sees itself moving forward, playing to the firm’s strengths, its utilisation of new and emerging technology and taking innovative approaches, the big challenges for firms like Caroll & O’Dea that loom on the horizon, and what excites her about the firm’s next steps.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

While so-called “Mr Big” undercover police operations have resulted in convictions in some of Australia’s most notorious cases, such as the Daniel Morcombe murder, the admissibility of confessions elicited during such operations and the reliability of those statements may demand further scrutiny. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with RMIT University College of Business and Law lecturer Dr Lisanne Adam and University of Sydney senior psychology lecturer Dr Celine Van Golde about what defines a “Mr Big” operation, how and why they are used, their recent research into the use and reliability of such operations, and the practical issues that these operations can present.

Adam and Van Golde also delve into some of the moral and ethical considerations from such operations, the fact that the High Court allowed for use of such methods in 2007, whether “Mr Big” operations are increasingly being used and why police might look to undertake such operations, the challenges or consequences that arise from these operations, the idea that the legal system may “prey on the vulnerable”, how criminal lawyers feel about the use of “Mr Big”, what legislative or regulatory improvements might be needed, and ensuring societal faith in our system.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Over the weekend, new legislation to prevent instances of foreign bribery in Australia came into effect. Here, we discuss what those laws entail, the potential impact on businesses, and how best to move forward, particularly in a time of increased regulatory scrutiny. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with A&O Shearman counsel Jessica Zoller about her interest and career in white-collar criminal matters, what is meant by the term “foreign bribery”, the new laws that have come into effect in Australia over the weekend, the responses from key stakeholders to the laws, and what they will likely mean for the market and broader Australian society.

Zoller also dives into whether the new laws go far enough or will need further changes, the current regulatory climate and microscope on business activity, the need to be proactive rather than reactive in ensuring good governance, the challenges for businesses in being proactive, best practice for lawyers on the ground within businesses, necessary procedural improvements to make internally, opportunities for businesses to stand out from the competition, and adhering to new governmental guidance. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

While treating clients with respect is a longstanding expectation, there are a number of factors driving a need to employ greater empathy from lawyers. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers partner and head of injury, compensation and employment law Karena Nicholls about her passion for her practice areas, how she looks after herself given the subject matter, the need to be trauma-informed, and what being empathetic as a legal practitioner means to her.

Nicholls also delves into the need for lawyers to be pseudo-psychologists, whether clients are driving a need for lawyers to be more empathetic, the difficulty lawyers may have in being empathetic, case studies where she has been empathetic and achieved a successful client outcome, how empathy has made her a better lawyer, why every lawyer can and should try to be more empathetic, and the practical steps they can take to do so.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Tony Macvean led national law firm Hall & Wilcox for 17 years. Here, and having recently handed over the leadership mantle, he reflects on his professional journey, observations about the market and Hall & Wilcox’s place in it, and why he is so optimistic about lawyers’ contribution to the community. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes Hall & Wilcox partner Tony Macvean (who until recently was the firm’s managing partner for 17 years) to discuss his career at the firm since he was a young professional, the growth he oversaw for the firm in his years as its head, the biggest challenges he faced in those years, becoming more business-minded, and what it’s been like for him to return to full-time practice.

Macvean also unpacks the recent leadership process and change that Hall & Wilcox undertook and why it occurred, the broader lessons and strategies that emerged from that undertaking, where he thinks the firm currently sits in the market and where it wants to be, the implementation of an approach to be “courageous”, the top-down culture the firm looks to imbibe, its approach to innovation, what excites him about the firm’s future and that of the profession more broadly, and what comes next for him, both personally and professionally.

If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!