Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

While many lawyers feel that the only "right" career path is to remain in a large law firm for life, Mia Madafferi emphasises the importance of recognising that pivoting into innovative legal careers is not only possible but also often deeply rewarding.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Mia Madafferi, the founder of Grey Rock Consulting, who reflects on the early stages of her legal career at Herbert Smith Freehills, recalls how a role-play exercise at a primary school excursion – acting as New Kelly's lawyer – first sparked her interest in litigation, discusses what it was like to transition straight from university into a major law firm, and what ultimately inspired her move from private practice to an in-house legal role.

Madafferi shares that her decision to launch her own consulting practice stemmed from a personal drive to pursue something different, reflects on the challenges many lawyers and individuals face when dealing with people who exhibit "high-conflict" personalities, and discusses how rewarding it is to support those who feel overwhelmed or unsure of how to navigate such difficult dynamics.

She also highlights the importance of lawyers recognising their ability to pivot away from traditional career paths and apply their legal skills in innovative and non-traditional ways, ponders on whether this mindset is still relatively uncommon or becoming more widely accepted, underscores the need for universities to start thinking "outside the box" in how they educate law students to better support diverse legal career opportunities, and offers advice to students who may feel daunted by the idea of going against the status quo and who are unsure about pursuing a conventional legal career.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, recorded at the Partner Summit 2025, LEAP Legal Software founder and chief executive Christian Beck talks about the most notable productivity gains we're seeing from the increased use of artificial intelligence by law firms across the board.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Beck about the monumental shifts being witnessed from such increased use of AI by law firms, his perception of firms' embrace of AI and new technologies, the key challenges pertaining to billing of clients in the age of AI, and the need to adjust a firm's billing practices accordingly.

Beck also delves into how best to maximise productivity gains within your own law firm, determining how best to charge for legal services and provide additional value to clients, the need to "be more engaged than ever before" and think more creatively, the practical steps he advises firm leaders to take, what lawyers will be judged on moving forward, and whether it is harder to be a law firm partner now than ever before.

Earlier this month, new regulations for buy now, pay later (BNPL) services in Australia came into effect. Here, a BigLaw partner explains how and why this has come to pass and what the implications are for consumers and practitioners alike.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Dentons partner Yechiel Belfer about the circumstances, including the banking royal commission, that have led to the introduction of the BNPL laws, the headline takeaways from the new regulations, and what it all means for providers, customers, and professionals as a result.

Belfer also touches on whether the laws strike the right balance, the challenges for lawyers moving forward, how practitioners can move forward, and whether there are opportunities to grasp to better service clients.

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, recorded at the Partner Summit 2025, Attune Legal's principal reflects on the extent to which firm partners and principals are satisfactorily proficient with artificial intelligence (AI) and why improving one's grasp of new technologies is of paramount importance.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Attune Legal principal Yule Guttenbeil about his frustrations about perceptions that law firm leaders are not properly grasping AI at this point in time, why this might be the case and the motivations of such leaders, how we haven't yet scratched the surface of what it means to utilise AI at a satisfactory level, and the risks inherent with taking one's time in developing proficiency.

Guttenbeil also delves into the steps that firm leaders need to be taking right now, the questions to be asked of themselves and their businesses, the need to update terms of engagement with clients to include language around AI use, becoming confident with AI and how many hours to invest daily and weekly to increase proficiency.

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 law students begin the summer clerkship application process, Jessica Trinh shares essential tips and insights – covering the often-overlooked details and common pitfalls – to help law students stand out and secure a position.

In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Jessica Trinh, a fourth-year law and medical science student at UTS and current paralegal. She shares her inspiration for pursuing a law degree, discusses what she enjoys most about her work in the dispute resolution and negligence space, breaks down what a clerkship entails, and highlights why it can be a valuable stepping stone into the legal profession for law students.

Trinh addresses the common misconception that clerkships are the only pathway into a legal career, sheds light on alternative routes students can take to launch their legal careers, reflects on her own experience navigating the clerkship application process, details how challenging and isolating it can be, but also expresses how rewarding it can be for law students.

She outlines the initial steps law students should take when they start this application process, highlights the importance of thorough background research on law firms, offers practical advice on how to effectively structure cover letters and CVs to ensure all the essential information is included, provides tips for excelling and standing out during the interview process, and stresses the importance of looking after your mental health and wellbeing throughout this process.

While there are myriad risks inherent with silent AI, one BigLaw partner also feels there are opportunities to develop risk controls and garner business.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clyde & Co partner Darryl Smith about the concept of silent AI and its implications for insurers and businesses, why the issues surrounding it are "very quiet" right now, the perfect storm that is brewing, and the potential challenges coming for the insurance space.

Smith also discusses the inherent opportunities with these challenges, the possibility for group claims or class actions, preparing for the unknown, practical ways to better support clients, why he's such a big proponent of using AI, and how and why he's learnt to code.

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!

Given that one of the most common gripes clients have about their lawyers is (perceived) high fees, it is essential that practitioners get this right – as "it'll save us a lot of time".

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Gale Family Law director David Gale to discuss the importance of addressing costs concerns, how urgent a priority it is amid other urgent priorities for practitioners, whether pressure to get costs right is getting more burdensome, and how commonly clients will walk away from their lawyers over costs.

Gale also delves into his thinking around the setting of costs, how costs arise in fixed-fee arrangements, being transparent across the board about costs arrangements, the questions lawyers must ask of themselves in reducing the risk of disputes, whether too many lawyers are getting costs wrong, and his suggested practical 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!

Believing that you must be available 24/7, that money brings happiness, and that asking for help is a sign of weakness are just some of the common myths lawyers have come to accept as truth. Here, John Kormanik challenges these misconceptions and offers practical advice on what to believe – and do – instead.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with John Kormanik, a former trial lawyer turned certified professional coach for lawyers, about his early career in the healthcare system, how his desire to serve and support others led him to pursue law, his experience advising clients on death row, and what ultimately prompted him to step away from legal practice after 25 years.

Kormanik reflects on the common traits of lawyers who seek professional coaching and explores the personal and professional benefits they can gain from working with a coach. He also outlines the key challenges currently facing the legal profession and debunks five common myths he has identified about what it means to be a lawyer, including the belief that success requires total devotion to work, that lawyers must always be busy, and that greater happiness comes with a higher income.

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 Corporate Counsel Show, recorded at the 2025 Corporate Counsel Summit, two in-house lawyers from ClearBridge Investments reflect on their takeaways from the annual gathering of corporate lawyers and what others need to know.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with ClearBridge Investments head of legal, risk and compliance Annette Golden and legal counsel Sydney Abba about life for lawyers in the financial services sector, their key insights from the summit, how corporate counsel across the board are facing similar issues, and why it is so essential to carve out time for education and professional development.

Golden and Abba also delve into the importance of hearing different points of view on the challenges being faced, the need for knowledge sharing at events like the summit, how and why they gleaned so much from attending, and why other in-house lawyers should attend the Corporate Counsel Summit next year.

After a decade-long career as a professional rugby union player, marked by captaincy honours and the pride of representing his country, Michael Wells shares his journey from the rugby pitch to the legal profession.

In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Michael Wells, an associate at BlackBay Lawyers, about his career as a professional rugby union player. He reflects on his decade-long sporting career, including the honour of representing his country, opens up about the challenges of pursuing a law degree while actively competing as a professional athlete, discusses how he managed to balance these two demanding paths, and shares what ultimately inspired his transition into law.

Wells reflects on the toughest aspect of stepping away from his career as a professional athlete to become a full-time lawyer, outlines his legal career to date, what hurdles he faced during the transition, and shares moments where he encountered scepticism from others about his ability to succeed in the legal profession.

He also speaks about the transferable skills he developed as a rugby union player and how they have translated into his legal career, notes whether they've given him a competitive edge, and addresses common misconceptions about the career paths athletes pursue after their time in sports.