Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

The prospect of a career break for family planning and childrearing purposes can be incredibly daunting. Here, a firm owner and new mum reflects on how legal business leaders can step away from their practices in ways that work for them. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Jaide Law founder and principal Malisa Howard to discuss the importance of speaking openly about the hurdles women lawyers face in stepping away from their legal practices to take maternity leave, why taking such leave is so important for mothers in law, and the myriad physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and professional considerations one needs to weigh up in undergoing such processes.

Howard also delves into perceptions that expecting mothers in law may have to face, how she mapped out how she wanted to take leave and manage her business needs, the thought processes and practical steps involved, whether cross-referral and load-sharing arrangements are worthwhile, how technology can assist in such processes, navigating one's fears and anxieties about the business' health, overcoming stigma, the different maternity leave structures, and her personal reflections on her journey with maternity leave and coming back to running her law 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!

Lawyers, Jahan Kalantar says, are a "conduit for complicated problems". To this end, practitioners must be better at appreciating the "greater fiduciary duty" they hold not just to the courts but also to clients and their idiosyncratic needs. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back the "TikTok lawyer", Jahan Kalantar. They discuss the ever-present need for lawyers to be better communicators with clients of all stripes, being more than a blackletter practitioner, the extent to which needs and expectations dictate communication styles, how the age of AI and other new technologies change client impressions of communication, and the place for soft skills against the backdrop of a need for greater tech proficiency.

Kalantar also delves into how best to contact clients, adapting to tailored approaches, practical steps to become a better communicator, having a deeper understanding for you who are, as a practitioner, listening more, and discusses his new book, Talking Your Way Out Of Trouble.

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!

Here, a senior corporate lawyer reflects on the three-year career break she took to be a full-time carer and what businesses need to do to ensure that the idiosyncratic family needs of workers, including in the law department, are accounted for. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show – brought to you by Lawyers Weekly's sister brand, HR Leader – host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with ANZ senior procurement lawyer Porscia Lam about her legal career and decision to take a three-year break to care for her son, balancing work against family needs, what the response was like to her move, and how her perceptions of Australian workplaces have evolved in recent years.

Lam also delves into the need for businesses to better accommodating parenting needs, identifying the business case for increased support, what works and doesn't work when supporting parents with neurodiverse children, ingraining such support in the workplace's culture, the role of law departments in driving such change and making sure such support remains, even against the pushback against DEI measures.

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 recent days, and on the back of lower inflation, hopes of a rate cut have been boosted. Here, we unpack how legal professionals of all stripes can prepare for such a decision by the Reserve Bank and how they can leverage their unique professional benefits to do so. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Legal Home Loans director of sales Cullen Haynes to discuss why the February RBA meeting is generating so much buzz, what happened in 2024, whether we can expect rates to be cut soon, the factors influencing the RBA's decision, and how a potential cut could affect borrowing costs and loan approvals for lawyers.

Haynes also delves into the implications for lawyers moving forward, including those who are prospective buyers and those who are already property owners, the unique advantages lawyers can access to improve their borrowing prospects, the financial stress lawyers are feeling, and the advantage of being ready to act quickly before rates are called.

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 the face of myriad forms of elder abuse and against the backdrop of an ageing population, interprofessional collaboration on legal matters will be paramount moving forward. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back M De Mestre Lawyers founder and principal Mary-Ann de Mestre to discuss the state of affairs in elder law, the various forms of abuse that elder persons may suffer, the urgent need to address such matters, and why broader education for lawyers and non-lawyers is required.

De Mestre also fleshes out the impact that such work can have on lawyers, the practical steps that must be taken by practitioners (including upskilling and specialising), whether elder law will soon be seen as a standalone niche practice area, the need to liaise and engage with myriad stakeholders, and what good collaboration will look like in the future.

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!

Here, a Canberra-based barrister details her pathway to joining the Bar and outlines how emerging practitioners can forge their own pathways to becoming barristers. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with barrister Vicki Geraghty, who practises out of Blackburn Chambers in Canberra, about why she wanted to join the Bar, the questions one asks of one's self in making that decision, how being a parent influences such a career path, and the initial practical steps to take on the road to becoming a barrister.

Geraghty also delves into what it means to be a reader, the factors to take into account when choosing a barrister chambers, what to look for in tutors and mentors in one's chambers, the experience of taking the bar exams, what she knows about the journey to being a barrister that she wishes she knew earlier, and what constitutes good advocacy for those at the Bar.

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!

Oftentimes, it is necessary for lawyers to outline clear boundaries so that the client relationship is not blurred. Doing so, one firm leader says, allows her to walk into court with a clear conscience and be the best advocate she can be. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Emma Turnbull Lawyers director and managing partner Emma Turnbull about her work as a criminal defence lawyer and why it's a meaningful vocational path for her, how and why she's a better lawyer because she rides horses, why it's so important to set boundaries with clients, and why clients may try to push those boundaries. Turnbull also delves into the ways in which clients may try to blur lines, her experience as a female practitioner, how empathy can be misconstrued, how to put in place necessary guardrails, how she sets boundaries from the outset of a client relationship, whether there are relevant professional conduct considerations at play, the questions to ask of one's self in setting boundaries, whether it is easier said than done, and why she is a better lawyer by virtue of knowing where the line in the sand is.

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!

Traditionally, the burden of judging has fallen to the individuals on the bench, and the profession and broader society have not taken responsibility for preparing and supporting them to do the important work required by the judiciary. So, what can be done?

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with University of Western Australia lecturer Dr Jessica Kerr about her academic work and why it is so important, the lack of support that judicial officers have traditionally received in undertaking their roles and why, the flow-on consequences for judges, and the need to improve holistic judicial competence.

Kerr also delves into what we want and expect from the judiciary, the practical steps to be taken to improve judicial competence and elevate support for such officers, the stigma surrounding wanting to become a judge, and the need for a more diverse bench. She also touches on her experiences as a criminal magistrate in the Seychelles.

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 episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you by our sister brand, Cyber Daily, we look back at some of the most notable cyber incidents from the past 12 months and look ahead to what can be expected in the new year. Hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss CrowdStrike's outage and amazing response to the takedown of ransomware giant LockBit, reflect on the Change Healthcare hack, which saw the data of about a third of the population of the United States compromised, the behind-the-scenes maneuvering between greedy ransomware-as-a-service operators, hacker affiliates just wanting to get paid, and a company realising that it really does have to pay an exorbitant ransom.

The pair also discuss the takedown of ransomware giant LockBit and the remarkably sassy response of the law enforcement agencies behind the operation, look back at another ransomware operation that turned out to be nothing but an extensive scam, and reflect on July's CrowdStrike outage, both its wide-ranging impact and what turned out to be an excellent and comprehensive response from CrowdStrike itself, before turning the gaze forward to wonder what they might see in 2025.

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!

Criminal defence lawyer Rebecca Fogerty recently wrapped up her term as president of the Queensland Law Society. Here, she reflects on her presidential term, what she's learnt about her role as a practitioner, and the experience of the broader legal profession. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes Jasper Fogerty Lawyers partner and QLS immediate past president Rebecca Fogerty to discuss why she loves criminal defence work, her perception of the challenges and trends facing lawyers in this space (particularly in Queensland), and why she wanted to serve with the Queensland Law Society. Fogerty also discusses the achievements of her presidential term, how she managed to juggle competing roles and the difficulty legal professionals face in trying to have it all, what she's learnt about herself and the broader profession, her changing perception of what makes a good advocate, and what excites her about legal advocacy into the future.

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!