Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

There is much that BigLaw partner Martina Storgato has learnt about cultivating one's place in the legal profession – chief among those lessons is that, when building a network and one's reputation, it is better to view others as colleagues, not the competition.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Mills Oakley partner Martina Storgato about her work in family law, how she's managed that practice area while also having a family of her own, at what stage of her career she realised the importance of building a network and reputation, whether she has a guiding principle for doing so, and taking a nuanced approach to generating business in idiosyncratic practice areas.

Storgato also delves into whether the advent of AI and other emerging technologies supports the idea of being nuanced in one's approach to clientele and business generation, the biggest lessons she's learnt about building and maintaining a good network and professional reputation, the questions lawyers should be asking of themselves in such a building process, remaining a good leader, and her broader guidance to lawyers coming through the ranks.

For many lawyers, being a practitioner can become the dominant part of one's identity. Here, Christina Yi reflects on how a girls' trip helped remind her to do the things that bring joy and fulfillment, so that one can ultimately better be of service to clients.

In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Allegra Family Lawyers legal practitioner director Christina Yi about the "urgency" involved with family law and the flow-on impacts for lawyers in this space, how being a lawyer can shape how others perceive you, how lawyering can become part of your identity, and what this means for one, both personally and professionally.

Yi also discusses a recent holiday she took to revitalise and relax, the positive impact the trip had on her, why she'll be making more time for future getaways, the warning signs lawyers should look out for when it comes to having lawyering become too big a part of one's identity, and what excites her about the new parameters she's set up for herself 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] for more insights!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Commonwealth Private, we unpack the myriad benefits of private banking for legal professionals, given their idiosyncratic personal, professional, and financial needs.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Commonwealth Private national head of professional services Cassandra Crawford about the work that Commonwealth Private does for clients, the headline financial challenges that senior lawyers face, whether engaging a private banker is more important than ever before, and the most common questions that senior lawyers ask of private banking.

Crawford also delves into the extent to which legal professionals are financially educated, how they can better ensure holistic financial security and wellness for themselves and their families, whether complacency needs to be overcome, the questions that lawyers should be asking of themselves, the practical steps to take, and overcoming hurdles getting in the way of looking after one's self. To learn more about Commonwealth Private, click here.

Amid the roar of gunfire and the loss of friends to war, this law student refused to be defined by his past. Instead, he transformed trauma into purpose, forging a remarkable journey from survival to the pursuit of justice.

Speaking on a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Alfred Brownell, a law student at the University of Queensland, who shares his remarkable journey of growing up in a war-torn country where the sound of gunfire was part of daily life, opens up about the lasting impact of those traumas, reflects on how these experiences have shaped the person he is today, and reveals how, after being unable to pursue medical school, he found inspiration to begin working alongside his father in environmental advocacy.

Brownell also reflects on his family's remarkable legal legacy, speaks about his father's story of having to flee the country after government authorities targeted him for his environmental work, recounts his own experience of starting a new life in Australia along with the significant challenges that came with it, explains how the hardships he faced has helped him build meaningful new connections in Australia, and emphasises why it is so important to never give up on studying law, no matter the obstacles that stand in the way.

Mel Storey is one of Australia's most prominent online legal personalities. Here, she reflects on why she recently left her general counsel role to focus on other projects at this stage of her vocational journey, and why it's OK for legal practice to not be one's forever job.

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back former general counsel Mel Storey – a keynote speaker, podcast host, and "corporate big sis" – to discuss her various roles as a legal practitioner, how and why she got to a point where she felt she had to chase other passion projects, and the thought process that goes into making such a decision.

Storey also delves into the identity that comes with being a practising lawyer, navigating the change in her day-to-day from being reactive to now being able to be proactive, why it's okay to consider that law may not be the forever job, the steps to take ensure vocational satisfaction, and what she's excited about moving forward about her own journey.

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] for more insights!

In this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with InfoTrack, we explore the looming changes to the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime, the practical implications for lawyers, and how best to leverage technology amid such a changing landscape.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with InfoTrack Chief Operating Officer Lee Bailie about why the AML/CTF changes represent such a shift for professionals like lawyers, how prepared law firms are for these changes, what's keeping firms up at night regarding the changes, and the role of businesses like InfoTrack in ensuring firms are prepared for the new regime. Bailie also discusses the practical steps to take, and important questions to ask, in ensuring that one's firm is ready, being proactive rather than reactive in anticipation of the changes, the opportunities for firms to grasp, evolving client expectations as they pertain to regulation, and how InfoTrack can support with automating onerous AML/CTF obligations. To learn more about InfoTrack, click here.

Amid myriad professional and technological changes, practitioners need to change how they service clients – for this litigator, there is much to look forward to in being proactive about offering broader, more holistic advice to clients, rather than reacting to traditional needs.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers partner Melissa Care about her work in disputes and litigation, how she's adjusted to her recent promotion to partner, why lawyers need to be thinking more about transitioning from simply being service providers to decision-makers and business advisers, and why this is necessary.

Care also delves into whether private practice lawyers need to think of themselves as external in-house lawyers, how one's sense of service can be retained in this transition, the challenges inherent with the transition, how lawyers can get started, the need to upskill, fitting such a transition into one's schedule, whether we risk losing the traditional understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, and how her own journey is reshaping her view of herself as a litigator.

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] for more insights!

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, recorded at last week's Australian Law Forum, we explore the day-to-day experience of working as a general counsel in a faith-based institution and what other law department leaders can learn from lawyers in such roles.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Seventh Day Adventist Church general counsel Igor Radonjić about how he came to be a "church lawyer" and why the role was appealing to him, what the day-to-day looks like, his own journey with faith, how his faith intersects with driving forward the purpose of a faith-based institution, and how his faith has evolved since starting in the role.

Radonjić also delves into the biggest challenges and trends facing faith-based institutions right now, how law departments can better support them, what will constitute best practice for GCs like himself, and what other law department leaders can learn from the expertise of GCs in faith-based institutions.

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] for more insights!

Here, two award-winning lawyers reflect on how they broke away from traditional legal vocational pathways to find success in ways that made sense to them – while noting that, for anyone seeking progression, it does not come easy.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bowes Legal managing partner Jane Bowes and Nova Entertainment group general counsel Danielle Keyes about their early years as "baby lawyers" and how they met, how and why they each chose to explore non-traditional pathways and how they felt about it at the time, and having to redefine what it meant to succeed.

Bowes and Keyes also reflect on the idiosyncratic challenges that face women in law, recalibrating expectations of what a lawyer can reasonably achieve when there are other life responsibilities, overcoming cultural expectations, being empathetic as leaders in law but also pragmatic, their guidance for lawyers coming through the ranks about how to forge one's own pathway, and recognising that success is often, if not always, hard-fought.

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] for more insights!

From cold calling to securing a paralegal role at a global law firm, this law student shares essential tips and strategies every aspiring lawyer should use to land a position and kickstart their legal career.

Speaking on a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Victor Yan, a law student at UNSW and a paralegal at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSFK), shares his unconventional journey into the legal profession, opens up about how a simple cold email to HSFK led to him securing a paralegal role months later, and discusses the crucial importance of landing a paralegal position while still at university to gain the practical skills that academic study alone doesn't provide.

Yan also emphasises the importance of first- and second-year law students taking proactive steps to secure their first paralegal roles, highlights common mistakes he often sees during the application process, outlines five key steps students should follow on their journey to landing a paralegal position, stresses the vital need to prioritise self-care and wellbeing throughout this challenging period, and shares encouraging advice for law students about to embark on this exciting yet daunting new chapter.