While over-indulgence with alcohol in legal circles is nothing new, it remains somewhat of a taboo topic for lawyers. Overcoming problematic consumption of alcohol is critical for employers and individuals alike to ensure a healthier, happier, and more productive profession. (Content warning: This episode contains content that may be distressing for some listeners. Discretion is advised.)

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by lawyer-turned-counsellor and coach Isabella Ferguson to discuss her journey in the legal profession, her struggles with “problematic” drinking while working as a practitioner, and how and why she now works as a counsellor and coach to legal professionals. 

Ferguson also delves into the rates of problematic drinking among the legal cohort and the myriad impacts this has on lawyers (both personally and professionally), as well as the consequences for legal workplaces, the ways that legal employers can better support their workers, and what individuals can do to ensure they are living healthier existences. 

Help is available via the Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1800 250 015, as well as via Lifeline, Beyond Blue, and related resources. State and territory law societies and bar associations also have support resources available via their websites. 

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!

For small law firm owners, the stakes are high in tough economic times. Here, we flesh out the impact that the current cost-of-living crisis is having on boutique practices across the country, how best to wade through this period, and why it’s so important to speak with colleagues and knowledge-share. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Legalite managing principal Marianne Marchesi to discuss the impact of the current economic climate on small firms and their owners, how worried firm owners are right now about the cost-of-living crisis, and why it is so important to talk about one’s situation and fears with fellow firm owners. Marchesi also discusses the need for longer-term strategies as a business owner, being both proactive and reactive with cost management, investing in the right external advisers to keep the firm afloat, and other practical approaches to ensure that your firm can not only keep its head above water but also continue to thrive in the modern marketplace. 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, produced in partnership with TransPerfect Legal, we explore how important data is to businesses in FY25, the importance of good information governance to manage risk, the use of AI in modern legal work, and some advice for in-house teams on how to deal with data before, during and after a dispute or investigation. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back TransPerfect Legal director Tom Balmer to discuss key reflections and takeaways from the recent Corporate Counsel Summit, how worried law department leaders are about litigation/regulatory risks, why information governance is so essential in managing these risks, and questions to ask/advice to help businesses improve. We also delve into how and why AI is currently being used to deal with increasing data volumes, the limitations and risks associated, the issues with AI in sales, and some advice for businesses to prepare themselves for disputes/investigations. To learn more about TransPerfect Legal, 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, 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!

Award-winning GC, public speaker, and author Theo Kapodistrias learnt early how essential it was to speak with myriad stakeholders in a language they can all understand. Doing so, he says, opens the door to more successful collaboration and productivity across the board. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Evergen general counsel Theo Kapodistrias to discuss how and why he discovered the importance of being a good communicator and how to speak to others professionally, avoiding “legalese” where necessary, how the post-pandemic working world makes good communication even more critical, and the questions in-house lawyers need to ask of themselves in order to become better at communication. Kapodistrias also reflects on the steps he took to bolster his skill set, the investment of time required, learning how to speak to different business units, the flow-on effects from better understanding how to communicate and engage, how high a priority being a good communicator must be in the current climate, appreciating the different modes of communication, how and why he uses video messaging, how and why he is better off – personally and professionally – for being a good communicator, and the book he is soon to release on these 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 Corporate Counsel Show, produced in partnership with LawVu, we explore new and better ways of working for law departments of all stripes and detail practical steps to ensure the legal team is a driving force – particularly at a time of inflection for such professionals. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back LawVu chief legal evangelist Shaun Plant to discuss his new book, How to make in-house a powerhouse: A revolutionary way of working for in-house legal teams, and why he wanted to write it, the longstanding challenges facing law departments across the board, the history of the general counsel, and whether we are at an inflection point for the law department’s relevance.

Plant also details the external factors changing the working environment for in-house lawyers, his proposed framework for law departments to become more of a driving force within a business, how to address the daily operational and practical challenges for those teams, the questions that departments need to be asking of themselves to get the most value out of new approaches, and why law departments have no option but to adapt moving forward.

To learn more about LawVu, click here. To learn more about Shaun Plant’s book, 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, 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!

Creating a workplace that is safe, respectful and inclusive is not just about mitigating risk and exposure – it helps a business provide a better return on investment. Here, a BigLaw partner details the importance of nurturing the workplace and those within it and how to do so.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Hall & Wilcox partner Fay Calderone to discuss her new book, Broken to Safe, how and why she decided to write it, the state of affairs for combating workplace health and safety issues in Australia, and the appetite among business leaders to enact meaningful change.

Calderone also delves into her proposed framework for businesses to ensure they can be more high-performing and increasingly supportive of all staff members, the questions that business leaders need to be asking in order to implement change, the extent to which staff can and should be engaged in identifying the best pathways forward, and whether or not Australia is headed in the right direction in fostering safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces.

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!

Join us for a special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, in partnership with LegalVision, where we reveal how your law department can streamline high-volume BAU work and focus on impactful tasks without relying on technology.

Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes Emmanuel Giuffre, LegalVision’s Head of Legal and General Manager, to discuss the innovative methods used by this leading firm. Learn about low-tech transformation projects, building a strong team foundation, and making data-driven decisions.

Discover how aligning productivity with business priorities can revolutionise your department. Manny shares key questions to evaluate transformation outcomes, practical steps to initiate these projects, real-life case studies, and insights on LegalVision’s support for general counsel and in-house teams.

Don’t miss this chance to enhance your legal function’s efficiency and effectiveness. Tune in now to unlock the secrets of in-house legal transformation. To learn more about LegalVision, 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, 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!

Australia requires much more legal clarity when it comes to making decisions in the best interests of critically ill and dying children, argues one author and academic. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Melbourne Law School honorary research fellow Dr James Cameron, who has authored a new book, Critically Ill Children and the Law: Medical Decision-making and the Best Interests Principle, about the various gaps in the law when it comes to making decisions in the best interests of sick children, the challenges this presents for both parents and medical practitioners, and various examples of how this can play out in practice. Cameron also details the extent to which change might be on the horizon, the legislative and regulatory changes that are urgently needed, how to determine what is reasonable in the current climate post-pandemic, and his proposed framework to address the legal challenges and gaps currently being witnessed in the medical 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!

How can law firm partners, in practices big and small, lead on psychological and psychosocial hazards when remuneration structures revolve around profit generation? Andrew Douglas has ideas for how such workplace leaders can meaningfully dedicate themselves to making a difference for their staff rather than simply relying on slogans. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back FCW managing principal Andrew Douglas to discuss his concerns about partner capacity to lead on wellness issues given remuneration structures and frameworks, how his firm has attempted to foster and embed a new culture and environment, and whether legal workplaces are incompatible with optimal wellness given the focus on profit.

Douglas also delves into what he has learnt about the role of a law firm leader like himself, making time rather than finding time to manage staff needs, navigating such needs in a post-pandemic world, better aligning purpose with profit (and everything in between), firm leaders’ scepticism to make necessary changes, and the practical steps that fellow managing partners must 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!

Jennifer Tutty was once told that she could never be a lawyer and a DJ at the same time. Now, having practised for 20 years and grown a successful practice, she has pertinent guidance for firm owners about how to build one’s brand, put one’s self out there, and flourish. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Studio Legal founder and principal Jennifer Tutty to discuss the inception and growth of her boutique firm, how working as a DJ and networking in nightclubs helped build her brand and clientele as a new lawyer, what it taught her about the importance of branding, why music and creativity are so uplifting for her, and how mindful such activities are. Tutty also reflects on how being a DJ has helped her run a successful firm, navigate people’s scepticism, what she’s learnt from her experiences over 20 years in law, the importance of wellness in small firms, what has surprised her in her two decades of practice, her guidance to other firm owners ahead of FY2024–25, and what excites her about the future of her own practice and her firm. 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!