Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

Sam Burrett and Chelsea Gordon recently travelled to the UK to learn more about international approaches to AI governance and business strategies of global law firm counterparts. Their observations and lessons learnt offer guidance for practitioners and firms alike Down Under.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with MinterEllison AI Advisory consulting lead Sam Burrett and legal lead Chelsea Gordon about the work they each do in the BigLaw firm's AI operations, their recent travels to the University of Oxford to learn more about how law firms internationally are approaching governance and strategy considerations, and how well Australian firms are performing relative to global counterparts.

Burrett and Gordon also delve into what Australian firms need to be doing more of, what is being done well, the lessons firms Down Under can learn from those overseas, what best practice objectives must be moving forward, practical steps that should be taken, mindset shifts required, and guidance to take into the new year.

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, X 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]

While Philip Colman has seen enormous professional change in more than four decades as a legal practitioner, there are certain values and traits that have consistently guided him over the years. For example, he tries to answer every email he receives on the day of receipt – even if just to acknowledge it – to showcase care and respect for clients.

In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with MST special counsel and former principal Philip Colman about his legal career to date, the values he was taught early on that have served him over the course of his career, some of the most surprising professional shifts he's witnessed, what optimal client service delivery means to him, and his reflections on his time as a leader.

Colman also delves into the challenges of business management, whether what constitutes a good law firm leader has changed over time, his guidance to aspiring leaders, how AI will impact the ways that people practice, whether client interactions need to be adapted, how the experience of the emerging generation differs from his own experiences, and his sense of service as a practitioner.

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, X 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]

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with legalsuper, host Lauren Croft speaks with legalsuper strategic partnership lead Jessica Empson about why taking control of your superannuation early is one of the smartest financial moves a lawyer can make.

From understanding how small fees can erode long-term savings to choosing investment strategies that align with your career stage, superannuation plays a crucial role in a lawyer's financial wellbeing.

In this episode, Empson unpacks the importance of transparency, sustainable long-term growth, and insurance coverage through super, exploring why legal professionals can benefit from joining a fund tailored to their industry.

She also shares practical advice for managing super with confidence and emphasises why lawyers at every stage of their career should take charge of their financial future and make informed decisions that support lasting security and growth.

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, X 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]

Here, the new managing partner of national law firm Colin Biggers & Paisley reflects on his journey as a practitioner, optimal client service delivery, why the firm is in a "great place" in the market, and what lawyers of the future need to look like. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Colin Biggers & Paisley's managing partner, Dr Andrew Murray, about his unintended entry into and journey in law, the driving force for him as a practitioner, the presence of impostor syndrome, his leadership approach, and how one learns to become a managing partner of a national firm.

Murray also delves into the firm's position in the market, his vision for it moving forward, why the firm will continue investing in particular practice areas, balancing growth with maintaining the right culture, headwinds on the horizon, managing a multi-generational workforce, why diversity is so essential, lessons from 2025 and predictions for the year ahead, and what it means to be a great lawyer.

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, X 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]

In a profession where burnout and mental health struggles have become all too routine, Tammi McDermott warns that mental health literacy isn't just essential for the next generation of legal leaders – it demands action and support from the entire profession to spark the urgent, transformative change law desperately needs

In a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Tammi McDermott, the founder of Lawnch and a board member of the mental health charity LIVIN, about the alarming rate of mental health challenges among lawyers, explains why this issue drives her passion for making mental health literacy a core skill for lawyers, calls out the profession's tendency to sideline mental health, and unpacks how genuine change can only happen when firms start prioritising their people over clients and billable hours.

McDermott also reflects on how little progress has been made in the way mental health is addressed in law since she first entered the profession, praises the younger generation of lawyers for reshaping the narrative by prioritising their wellbeing, calls on legal leaders to take responsibility for driving change by starting with more open conversations about mental health in the workplace, and emphasises that emotional preparedness and mental health awareness are just as vital as technical expertise for the next generation of legal leaders.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Unisearch Expert Opinion Services, we explore how forensic and cognitive psychology is being applied in the justice system, and how – together with facial recognition technology – such developments may have implications for legal proceedings.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Richard Kemp, Forensic Psychologist and Unisearch Expert, UNSW, and Unisearch Expert Opinion Services business development manager Christopher Aaron Yong about Professor Kemp's research fields, why experts like him are in greater demand, the pertinence and necessity of such services in ensuring access to justice, the limitations of such scientific fields, and addressing gaps in legal proceedings.

Professor Kemp and Yong also delve into the types of proceedings that such services can be applied to, the place for facial recognition technology in such conversations, risks to be navigated, implications for legal practitioners on the ground, case studies and lessons from those proceedings, and also explore how to assess the reliability of one's memory.

To learn more about Unisearch Expert Opinion Services, click here.

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, X 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]

The proliferation of negative sentiment around migration into Australia, both politically and socioculturally, can take a toll on legal practitioners in this space. To this end, migration law can be seen as a potential bellwether for the legal profession's role in ensuring access to justice and our national identity.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with BDO national leader in migration law Rebecca Thomson about her background in this legal practice area and why it's so rewarding, the sociocultural and political discourse surrounding migration and its disconnect to the realities on the ground, the impact on practitioners like herself, and whether now is the most challenging time to be a migration lawyer.

Thomson also delves into the numerous roles that such lawyers have to play in the current climate, bringing a holistic viewpoint, staying on top of a shifting regulatory and legislative landscape, having a community, the importance of migration law moving forward, and lawyers' role in ensuring access to justice.

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, X 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]

Here, an executive general manager discusses how legal counsel can make the vocational transition to business leadership, whether it's a general manager, chief executive, or managing director role.

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Australian Unity Trustees executive general manager Kirstin Follows about her legal career and how she came to AUT, supporting that business through both the COVID-19 pandemic and the aged care royal commission, what she found stimulating about in-house legal life, and why work in the aged care sector is so important.

Follows also delves into how the transition to the EGM role came about, how she has found the jump to her current role, the skills she needed to develop, how her approach to the EGM role differs to what she was doing as law department leader, how and why heads of legal should be aiming to lead what's happening in the boardroom, not just being a participant, and why such lawyers are well placed to take on executive roles.

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, X 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]

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with nrol, we explore vocational opportunities for Australian lawyers in the current climate, both domestically and abroad.

Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back nrol founder Jesse Shah to discuss his new business, The Broker For Lawyers, why nrol is the principal partner for the upcoming Women in Law Awards, what's surprised him about the recruitment market in 2025 to date, why the balance of power remains with individual candidates rather than employers and when it might shift, and migration considerations impacting Australian legal recruitment.

Jesse also delves into why Australian lawyers are interested in moving overseas, opportunities in the Middle East, why the region is such a good location for lawyers' growth right now, nrol's new presence in the Middle East, why Australian lawyers are sought after, what lawyers need to ask of themselves if they are to make such a move, local market opportunities in the current climate, perceived trends ahead of 2026, and how lawyers should be thinking about their own positions.

To learn more about nrol, click here.

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, X 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]

Space law "doesn't fit into a neat box", spanning multiple legal disciplines. For those practising space law, this brings not only myriad challenges but also opportunities.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bartier Perry associate Samantha Pacchiarotta about how she became passionate about space law, the state of affairs in this area and how the volume of work will only become bigger, the legal issues pertaining to the proliferation of space junk, and legal questions around incapacity, death, and inheritance in space law.

Pacchiarotta also discusses how the law is slow to respond to space technology, governance concerns regarding space law, the commercialisation of space and its legal implications, what constitutes best practice in the face of the myriad challenges, and why others should consider working in space law.

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, X 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]