Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

In 2008, Ecuador enshrined the rights of nature in its constitution. But where is such jurisprudential thinking at in Australia? Here, property and commercial lawyer Mieke Elzer discusses the idea of nature's rights at law, particularly in the wake of the successful Sharma appeal. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Attwood Marshall lawyer Mieke Elzer about the myriad forms of environmental law and how the earth law stream emerges from it, what is meant by ecological jurisprudence and where we're at with such legal considerations, the notion that the natural environment – from trees to oceans – can or should have legal standing, and where Australia sits in relation to global counterparts on such questions. Elzer also delves into the likelihood or otherwise that the natural environment can or will be recognised in Australian law, increasing litigation being seen or to be seen in this space, what it would take for a test case to emerge on the legal standing of the natural environment, bringing the judiciary along for the journey in shifting mindsets, and how all legal practitioners can be more environmentally conscious in their daily operations – both for the community and for themselves.

According to Maria Jockel, immigration law is a "complex, highly regulated area of law, which is totally and utterly underappreciated" regarding its significance for nation-building in Australia. In the face of the government's recent moves in this space, work for immigration lawyers will continue to be complex but also stimulating, she says.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with BDO global and national immigration law leader Maria Jockel about her personal story of growing up in displaced persons camps, how and why she came to work in immigration law, the importance of "nation-building", what the federal government's 10-year strategy for immigration law looks like, and what it means for lawyers in this space.

Jockel also details the state of affairs for corporate compliance with immigration matters and what practitioners need to know, practical steps to be taken with regard to being across the myriad of legislation, policy and flagged changes, the need to be "brave-hearted", and what excites her about the future experience of immigration lawyers in Australia.

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!

When working in a large law department in a big Australian company, ensuring that the legal team's work remains aligned with business objectives requires optimal collaboration and communication. Here, three general counsel from Tabcorp reflect on their work and how they work together to achieve such ends.

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Tabcorp group general counsel Ivana Kovacevic, general counsel of technology procurement, data, and privacy Fiona Tyas, and general counsel of M&A, treasury, and corporate services Tom Boyd to discuss the foremost challenges being faced by large law departments as 2024 gets into full swing, the road maker's dilemma, data analysis and other required legal transformation projects.

The conversation also fleshes out prioritising cyber concerns, how market factors can influence a company's movements and performance, identifying and working towards strategic priorities, best practice approaches for achieving such priorities, aligning business and legal strategies, bringing the broader law department along for the ride, effective leadership of emerging counsel in the new normal, and lessons learnt since the start of the year when it comes to keeping a "laser focus" on the end goal.

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!

The adverse consequences on one's holistic health from being overly sedentary are well established. In the modern working world, where lawyers are tethered to devices and the separation between home and work is blurred, being physically active is more essential than ever before. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by TEDx speaker, personal trainer, fitness presenter and author Lizzie Williamson about how a lack of physical activity during the day can have deleterious consequences for professional services workers, how social media can exacerbate how one is feeling, and why it can be so difficult for lawyers to get up and move during the working day. Williamson also delves into the flow-on consequences for lawyers who are overly sedentary, overcoming a lack of motivation, the impact of negative motivation on one's psyche, the roadblocks in the way of good practices, tips to get started on a more active journey, how leaders can encourage small steps for their teams, overcoming perfectionism, and realising what kind of day lawyers want to have. 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!

There are so many amazingly successful women in the finance industry, but only a small number have a strong brand and online presence in this traditionally male-dominated industry. As we celebrate International Women's Day, we want to help more women raise their profile and showcase the incredible professionals in this space. In this episode, partnered by Mortgage Choice (part of the REA Group), we're picking the brain of its executive manager, corporate communications, events & franchise marketing, Sally Chadwick, to find out:

• How to build a brand presence.
• The benefits of having a strong brand presence.
• Top tips to help you get started today.

And much more!

Helen Tung – a barrister, space lawyer, and College of Law lecturer in international arbitration – is brimming with excitement about the myriad vocational pathways currently available in space law. For practitioners of all stripes (particularly women lawyers, for whom there are no barriers to entry), space law is a rich, stimulating and rewarding emerging field, she says.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, and in conjunction with International Women's Day, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Ms Tung about how and why she got into space law, the issues, challenges and emerging trends she is seeing in this field, and how lawyers across the board can transition to work in this space, regardless of their expertise and backgrounds. Ms Tung also delves into why she is so passionate about seeing more women practitioners involved in space law and how the traditional barriers to entry aren't as apparent in this field, how she informs next-generation lawyers about space law, and her predictions for how the emerging field of space law will evolve in years to come. 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 Xakia, we explore newly released research detailing how legal teams with 10 or fewer staff manage digital solutions and how mature their use of technology is at this critical juncture.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Xakia founder and chief executive Jodie Baker about the need to examine how digitally mature small in-house legal teams are, given where the market is at, her key takeaways from the research conducted by Agile Market Intelligence, how staffing levels can influence a team's level of digital maturity, as well as the impact of budgetary constraints.

Ms Baker also delves into the varying relationships small teams have with technology solutions such as business tools, digital signature, matter management, contract management, reporting and analytics, spend management, and artificial intelligence, where small teams are digitally mature, where they are not, and the potential reasons that small teams might not be adopting some technology as fast as others. To learn more about Xakia, click here. To read Xakia's white paper, titled Legal Tech for Teams Under 10, 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!

As next-generation professionals enter the workforce at a time of monumental technological and professional change, lawyers coming through the ranks not only have an opportunity to think outside the box and be more creative in crafting a vocational path – but they arguably have a duty to do so.

In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Best Wilson Buckley Family Law graduate solicitor Natalia Hutchison to discuss how and why she became a family lawyer, what thinking big as an emerging practitioner means to her and why she thinks it is so important in the current climate for those coming through the ranks to embody, and how innovation feeds into such an attitude.

Ms Hutchison also reflects on her journey of travelling multiple hours per day from rural Queensland to get to work, how her perception of the profession has shifted over time, the issues and challenges standing in the way of new lawyers being able to think big, lessons she has learnt, practical ways to think outside the box, the need to be adaptable and flexible, overcoming reluctance or scepticism about one's capacity to think big, catering to one's wellness needs, and what excites her about the opportunities in front of next-generation lawyers.

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, produced in partnership with Legalwise Seminars, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Legalwise Seminars managing director Jacquelyn Simon about what lawyers need to know about continuing professional development (CPD) and offers tips for them ahead of the looming deadline. The pair discuss how the accumulation of one's CPD points is something that sneaks up on practitioners each year, the need for lawyers to get the balance right in getting their points and navigating a turbulent market, the CPD rules that are commonly misunderstood in Australia, whether it is possible to accrue all points online or if in-person learning is needed, the core areas of CPD to be complied with, whether one can defer extra hours accrued to subsequent years, what lawyers want from their CPD at this point in time, and how Legalwise is looking to support practitioners of all stripes in the current climate. To learn more about Legalwise Seminars, 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!

Here, reigning Banking and Finance Partner of the Year Stuart Cormack offers insights into what day-to-day operations look like for practitioners in this space, what he finds meaningful and stimulating about such work, and how best those coming through the ranks can succeed in B&F. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Gilbert + Tobin partner Stuart Cormack about his journey in law and how and why he became a banking and finance lawyer, the expertise one needs to become a practitioner in this space, the crossover with other firm practice areas, the current trends he is seeing in the market, and why he finds such work so meaningful. Mr Cormack also details international opportunities that lawyers in this space can explore, what constitutes best practice for B&F lawyers in the face of market challenges and how best to engage with clients, the key traits that make a successful B&F lawyer, opportunities for those looking to exit private practice, and his advice to this coming through the ranks. 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!