New Earth lawyer

I talk about how important it is that we exercise our democratic rights right now to the furthest extent that we can and in a loving and peaceful manner. This will assert our sovereignty and autonomy to ourselves and the external world and impact events energetically. 

This means voting wisely, writing to our lawmakers to express ourselves, signing petitions, protesting and getting involved in the political process ourselves.

​In the longer term, to ensure we never give away our rights again, we should insist that our Parliamentarians swear an oath or affirm to serve the people and vote as their conscience demands not on party lines, implement people-initiated referenda, and consider a direct election of our head of government.

Show notes:

​[0:31] At this time, it is important for us to start standing up for ourselves and the way we want to be governed as we are moving into a time of learning to be autonomous and self-governing.

[1:33] Above all else, we must conduct ourselves in the frequency of love, peace, unity and non-violence and move away from fear and divisiveness.

[2:53] Limiting our democratic involvement to voting every few years means that we allow our elected representatives to act in ways which don't serve us.

[4:01] In the short term, we need to exercise our democratic rights as much as we can and in the long term, think about how we can improve the current system of government.

[4:34] First, we need to educate ourselves on our rights within the current system of government. Then we need to leverage the current system as much as possible.

[6:15] We need to know who our elected representatives are at Federal and State level and what laws they are responsible for passing.

[9:34] When we are clear on who our elected representatives are, we should express our opinions to them whenever we believe strongly in an issue. Energetically, this act of asserting our right to sovereignty and autonomy has an impact on ourselves and the external world.

[11:10] Similarly, we should sign petitions if we feel strongly about the issue, because these will be presented to Parliament if enough people sign them and again, we are asserting our rights.

[12:33] Those who are motivated to do so may consider joining a political party and even running for office. 

[13:23] The right of lawful protest is an important democratic right. Currently protests in Australia are prohibited by public health orders. This is an impingement on a fundamental right, The concept of civil disobedience becomes relevant here.

[15:19] In the longer term, we should ensure our Parliamentarians take an oath or affirm allegiance to serve the people of Australia.

[15:44] Parliamentarians should vote on their conscience more often rather than along party lines.

[15:57] We should consider citizen-initiated referenda.

[16:23] We should consider if the leader of the Executive should be directly elected by the people as in the American system.

For more, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.

Idara Bassey is a lawyer and expert on lawyer wellbeing.  She is an author of Reflections of a Mystical Sistah, a channeled book, and her new book on rethinking the rules of lawyering is due to be published in 2022.

​We talk about the place of spirituality in the modern corporation, how leaders need to do inner work to lead today's corporations, and how lawyering is changing to meet the growing demands of people who are awakening to their deeper spiritual needs.

Show notes

[2:18] Idara shares with us how her first book Reflections of a Mystical Sistah came about, after she moved from Washington DC to California, the day before 9/11 occurred.  That book is a channelled book.

[6:24] It was in law school that Idara sharpened her connection to her intuition, when she began to observe the energy there and how it transformed people to behave in self-serving ways.

[9:44] Idara decided that if she would survive law school, she would cultivate inner energetic strengths.

[13:29] Self-reflection and not necessarily doing what society tells you to do are important when everything around us is being re-evaluated. 

[15:46] After law school, Idara finished her LL.M then ended up in Washington DC working with a non-profit that was a sub-Saharan Africa relief agency. This also gave her the chance to observe how attached people were to their titles and roles.

[19:21] After 10 years in academia, and moving to California, Idara enrolled herself in a doctoral degree in metaphysics. Her thesis focussed on the manifestation of energy in corporations. Parts of Idara's doctoral thesis were channelled.

[23:37] We talk about the Great Resignation of 2021 when large numbers of people are expected to resign from their corporate jobs, up to 40% by some estimates.

[28:29] Idara's new book is about the limitations of the traditional way of thinking like a lawyer and the new ways to be a lawyer in this period of mass transformation.

[34:26] Idara sees this period of lockdowns, restriction and limitation as an opportunity for personal growth.

For more, please visit the episode page of the New Earth lawyer website.

I briefly relate my experiences in dream state working with others on the latest stage of the transformational awakening we're experiencing as a collective.

Then I explain the way democracy works in the Westminster system, which is the system that prevails in Australia, adopted from the UK. Some of these rules serve us well but others - especially the unwritten conventions that allows political parties to dominate government - do not. As we begin transforming our systems, it's time to think about what will we want to keep and what will we wish to discard?

Show notes:

[1:26] I discuss a recent dream I had about the huge number of highly advanced souls who are preparing to walk in or drop in to this planet. In my dream, I was processing a group of these souls who were here for a specific mission.

[5:03] The changes in our political systems will begin to show up in physical terms from now on and will be different for each country.

[5:03] The changes in our political systems will begin to show up in physical terms from now on and will be different for each country.

[5:37] In Australia, we have a system of democracy based on the separation of powers - that the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary are separate arms of government so that power is not centralised in one place.

[7:40] In the Westminster system, Parliament makes the laws and is comprised of two Houses - the Lower House that represents the people and the Upper House that reviews and approves laws. In Australia the Queen is part of Parliament.  To be passed, laws have to be approved by both Houses and assented to by the Governor-General who is the Queen's representative in Australia.

[9:35] Parliamentarians are directly elected by the people, a concept known as representative democracy which is written into our Constitution.

[10:32] Australian democracy also relies on the unwritten rule of responsible government. One part of this is that the Executive (the Prime Minister, Cabinet and government departments) must be responsible to the Lower House of Parliament, which in practice means the political party that holds the majority of seats in the House of Representatives forms government.

[12:07] Another part of responsible government limits the powers of the Queen's representative, the Governor-General who in exercising many of his or her powers, relies on the advice of the Prime Minister. 

[13:23] Our State governments largely follow the same conventions in how governments are formed. 

[14:13] By placing so much power in the hands of the ruling political party, the conventions of responsible government can override the effectiveness of representative democracy as Parliamentarians become accustomed to adopting the party line, instead of representing their constituents.

[15:45] Members of Parliament have a duty of public trust, to supervise and hold accountable the Executive on behalf of the electorate, but this doesn't happen within the same political party.

[16:37] Although most Senates in Australia are not dominated by the ruling political party, they are fragmented and there is often a balance of power held by a handful of minor parties or independents which still allows the government to get laws passed by negotiating with these few Parliamentarians. 

[17:42] The end result is that our views as the electorate are seldom heard directly and we feel frustrated when we want to express them although we live in a democracy. What can we do to improve the system?

For more, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.

Dr Pearlette J. Ramos is a leader, lawyer, social justice advocate, and writer.  She is a world traveller who has expanded herself through travel and now coaches other women to do the same. 

​We talk about her upcoming documentary, Three (Extra)ordinary Women, which will chronicle the journey of three women who have overcome personal tragedy and obstacles to triumph in their lives, while coming together to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Three (Extra)ordinary Women documentary: https://www.filmindependent.org/programs/fiscal-sponsorship/three-extraordinary-women/

***To donate to help make the film a reality, please visit here ***

Show notes:

​[2:39] Pearlette tells us how she has adjusted her travel plans in the time of COVID. She runs a business guiding travel groups - mainly women - to places like Italy, Morocco and Antarctica.

[4:43] Pearlette's passion for travel stemmed from a traumatic and abusive childhood, where she would pray to God  and would dream of a life, beyond the limitations of her upbringing. She overcame financial limitations and her own fears and beliefs to create a business involving travel.

[9:00] After practising law for 12 years, Pearlette went back to school to gain a PhD in Psychology.  Her childhood experiences led her to believe that we have access to something beyond our minds and by tapping into it we can be led to live a fuller life.

[13:00] In accessing the power of her prayers, dreams and imagination, Pearlette believed in something better for herself, which was a source of hope and healing.  It is in our power to choose to transcend our traumatic experiences.

[15:49] When one has been oppressed, seeing the oppression as a limitation that can be overcome and learned from is empowering. Pearlette used the limitations on travel imposed by COVID to achieve a greater sense of peace and equanimity.

[20:31] As a solo female traveller. Pearlette has used travel to challenge and set tasks for herself, for example travelling to Egypt alone and more recently going to Antarctica, which is a journey she used as a catalyst to reset her vision for her life post-50.

[23:38] Pearlette is now exploring her creative side rather than her analytical side which she relied on for so long as a lawyer. She is expressing her creativity through the documentary project, Three (Extra)ordinary Women which brings together her passions for travel, exploration, empowerment of women, and hiking.

[27:08] Three (Extra)ordinary Women tells the story of three women: Pearlette, Tami and Terry, who have overcome obstacles and trauma early in their lives to achieve amazing things in the areas of social justice.  They will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2021.

[33:05] Tami had her mother murdered in front of her as a 6 year old child. Today she is an environmentalist in Dallas, Texas.

[34:31] Terry was born in Palestine and when the Israelis invaded Palestine her life became hell. She emigrated to America as a teenager and worked instead of studying so her family could join her.

[36:23] Pearlette overcame abuse as a child and lost her baby as a teenage mother. With Tami and Terry is currently preparing for the physical challenges of the hike which will begin on 8 September.

[40:18] Pearlette is working hard on bringing the documentary to life and hopes it will inspire girls and women who see it to be inspired to overcome whatever emotional, mental and physical challenges they have faced in their life.

For more, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.

I talk about the Nuremberg Trials that occurred in the aftermath of World War II, because I'm hearing a lot of mention of Nuremberg these days. 

I explain what they were and the consequences of Nuremberg on the development of international criminal law, especially the first trial which tried the Nazi leaders before an international military tribunal.  I also answer the question of whether we might see another Nuremberg style trial today and why I don't think we have conditions that make this realistic right now.

Show notes:

​[0:32] The Nuremberg Trials were held in the aftermath of World War II in Nuremberg, Germany seek justice against those who had perpetrated the worst atrocities during the total war that ravaged Europe.

[1:29] The most important Nuremberg Trial was the first one where the Nazi leadership was brought to account before an International Military Tribunal presided over by the four victorious Allied forces: the United States, Britain, Soviet Union, and France. Twelve other trials followed which included the Doctors' trial (for Nazi physicians) and the Judges' trial (for judges and lawyers who advanced the racial purity program).

[3:33] The legal framework for the Nuremberg trials came out of the instrument of surrender that Germany had signed and from the law of war.

[5:02] The Nuremberg Charter created three categories of crimes, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. 

[7:18] The first Nuremberg Trial is that it led to the development of international criminal law.  This is the intersection of international law - which regulates nation-States' conduct - and criminal law - which seeks to make accountable the individuals and organisations responsible for criminal actions.

[8:26] Secondly, the Nuremberg Trials led to an understanding that individual rights need protection from government actions, which led to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

[9:12] Thirdly, crimes against humanity such as genocide can be conducted during war time or peace time.

[9:43] Fourthly, with Nuremberg, we developed an understanding of when international criminal law is appropriate to punish crimes - these are usually large scale, atrocious crimes where we can apply the broad brush of international criminal law and still achieve justice. 

[11:34] Fifthly, important principles from Nuremberg included that acting in an official position is no defence, that an action may not be a crime under a national legal system but can be illegal under international law  and that obeying superior orders if not always a defence. 

[12:59] Would we see another Nuremberg style trial today? With these tribunals, there's always a prior, almost universal agreement that something really terrible has happened. There is no public consensus today that a large-scale evil has occurred so I don't see this happening.

[15:33] With a Nuremberg style trial, the international community must agree on an authority to carry out the proceedings, such as the Nuremberg's victorious Allied forces, a UN Security Council resolution or an international treaty.

[17:21] Finally a Nuremberg style trial cannot happen in secret if we want a proper appreciation of whatever evil has occurred that deserves such a trial. Moreover, justice cannot be served if delivered in secret.

For more, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.

Chamundai Curran is the owner of The Laughter Lawyer, a training organisation for wellness, personal effectiveness, relationship building, conflict resolution and coaching and mentoring programs, based on laughter yoga. 

Chamundai coaches and mentors lawyers and professionals who are interested in spirituality, feel called to look more deeply into life, their purpose, and who seek to be of service to humanity using their unique gifts and talents.​

We talk about how laughter is a true healer, by lifting a person, placing problems in perspective, enhancing creativity, aiding emotional wellbeing and transmitting positive physiological hormones and other chemicals to the body. It's a boon for lawyers who tend to take ourselves too seriously! 

Show notes

[2:04] Chamundai's early legal career was traditional, as a family and litigation lawyer. She found that traditional law didn't fix her clients' problems. She began to delve into counselling as a Lifeline counsellor to help her clients.

[6:01] Chamundai's spiritual quest started early, as a child she was curious about esoteric questions and as a teenager took up yoga in Sydney. She felt strongly pulled to the yogic tradition, meeting the guru Swami Satyananda.

[8:54] I discuss with Chamundai the concept of reincarnation and 'past lives' influencing choices we make in our current life, which sometimes expresses itself as a strong attraction to a particular country or tradition.

[12:24] Chamundai also began to awaken to an intuition in her work, guiding her to clients and leading her to discuss healing concepts with them. 

[14:55] Chamundai became involved in Lifeline unintentionally, through a friend's invitation, who didn't tell her what it was about but invited her to a training session for counsellors.

[17:47] From counselling - which taught her valuable compassionate communication skills - Chamundai trained in mediation and restorative justice.

[20:18] Later, Chamundai became inspired to start a laughter club, based on a divine thought that came to her after feeling dispirited with the legal profession.

[22:24] The idea of a laughter club led Chamundai to find laughter yoga, which tied back to her love for yoga and her  earlier spiritual training.

[28:47] Growing out of her experiences with laughter yoga, Chamundai started The Laughter Lawyer which systematically lifts people to a higher place through laughter as therapy.

[29:45] Through The Laughter Lawyer, Chamundai assists clients with wellbeing. She also sees it as vital to building community for like-minded lawyers.

[33:20] Chamundai sees more lawyers gravitating towards integrative law and opening themselves up to spirituality. It might mean going down unexpected paths.

[35:59] A good teacher will provide a person with options and open themselves up to inner wisdom instead of creating followers.

For more, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website. 

I discuss the concept of non-violent resistance in the context of disobeying laws, rules and orders. As a lawyer, I adopt the stance of Martin Luther King, Jr that when a person is moved to defy a law they see as unjust, then they must do so openly, lovingly and with preparedness to accept the consequences of their actions. As someone who believes in a loving spiritual force underlying reality, this to me is essential - love conquers all.  King's concept non-violent resistance was inspired by the teachings of Christ and Gandhi.

Show notes

[0:41] As a lawyer, I get called upon to advise people on what my views are about defying the law. often by decent, law abiding people who feel strongly that these laws are unjust as they infringe upon human rights and natural law.

[2:23] Martin Luther King, Jr. epitomised the right way to engage in civil disobedience, especially in what he said in his letter from a Birmingham jail which he wrote in 1963.

[3:32] Rev. King was talking about segregation laws in the United States but what he said applies equally to other unjust laws.

[5:02] A critical point is that Rev. King was discussing unjust laws. Every individual will have a different perspective of what is unjust, but the more a law, rule or order goes against natural law, the more people will agree it is unjust.

[6:48] We must still respect the law - indiscriminate evasion of the law would create anarchy. It is when one's conscience moves one to disobey an unjust law that Rev. King's principles are relevant. These are that one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly and with a willingness to accept the penalty.

For more please visit the episode page on New Earth lawyer website.

Kelly McGrath, Esq., is the owner of Kelly McGrath Law, PLLC, a non-litigation law firm focusing on business and family law mediations, restorative justice cases, and collaborative divorce. Her practice in Tallahassee, Florida puts compassion and listening first and she has developed client protocols to ensure this. ​

We talk about her mission as a peacebuilder and how she has brought that into her work, something she demonstrates through example after powerful example of the law being an instrument of restoration and healing for people and communities after trauma and serious crime. 

Show Notes

[1:48] Kelly talks about her background in care and support, as a kindergarten teacher who studied law then moving to working as an attorney for the State of Florida. Her collaborative, gentle style naturally led her to discover a kinder way to practise law, including implementing initial empathetic listening sessions with her clients.

[5:23] Kelly includes empathy in her mediation work, by holding pre-conferences that also emphasise communication, values and mindset.

[7:39] In dealing with conflict, Kelly guides her clients through deep breathing and meditative practices, which are based on studies of human responses.

[11:16] Kelly's vision is of world peace and her mission is to help guide people through their most challenging conversations so they can resolve them through peace. 

[14:38] Kelly introduces us to restorative justice by describing the case of 20-year old Ann Grosmaire who was murdered by her boyfriend Conor McBride and whose parents used restorative justice principles to heal as well as prevent Conor from being served the death penalty.

[17:41] In serious harm cases, such as rape and sexual assault, restorative justice can bring a degree of closure to the victim who can move on with their life. Kelly describes one such example that she worked on.

[20:09] Restorative justice models can co-exist with existing criminal justice processes. In the pre-trial stage it can work as a diversion program, for example, by establishing conditions of probation and avoiding incarceration. 

[21:10] When the offender is in prison, it operates as a victim-offender dialogue that can help bring closure to victims and their families.

[23:13] Kelly also engages in training restorative justice facilitators and describes the type of training it might entail.

[26:29] Restorative justice can bring communities together, as Kelly explains through an example of a 12 year old boy who damaged a community centre, scaring an elderly neighbour. The diversion program resulted in the boy's family and the neighbour assisting each other and the community coming together to support them.

[31:14] Kelly advises young lawyers who are motivated to make change in the criminal justice system to speak to their supervisors with examples of how modalities like restorative justice work effectively and request training.

[32:32] Kelly continues to expand the idea of more empathy in mediation​ She shuns the billable hour in her work and works only on a fixed fee basis. 

[35:32] In addition, Kelly continues to support the Florida Restorative Justice Association through continuing legal education programs.

[37:25] Finally, Kelly also runs as a side passion the Life After All program, which is a support program for post-divorce and widowed women to move forward through a network of supportive professionals such as personal trainers and financial advisers. 

For more, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.

Human rights are the key to a new legal system.  Human rights is an area of law that deals with the universal rights of every human being, rights that are inherent to us, regardless of our nationality, sex, ethnic origin, religion, language or any other status.

Human rights align with natural law - a system of laws that are inherently just, moral and correct.

If we can ensure that all those responsible for passing laws and interpreting laws receive the right grounding in human rights, if our national Constitutions enshrine human rights protections and if businesses are accountable for respecting human rights, we will have a legal system that is far more aligned  to natural law.

Show notes:

​[0:22] Human rights are the universal rights of every human being, rights that are inherent to us and apply regardless of our sex, our religion, or nationality, or ethnic origin, language or any other status.

[0:55] Some countries guarantee basic human rights to their citizens such as the United States through their Bill of Rights.

[2:30] The Bill of Rights has its roots in a document called the Magna Carta signed in 1215 by King John of England which established boundaries to the powers of the sovereign.

[3:50] Constitutionally guaranteed human rights means that no law can be passed by Parliament that infringes on those rights.

[4:33] Australia has a handful of constitutionally guaranteed rights, some expressly set out in our Constitution and others that are implied by the drafting and structure of the document.

[6:50] Australia has signed up to a number of international human rights treaties but only some of those  treaty obligations have been passed by Parliament to become legally binding laws in Australia, such as anti-discrimination laws.

[9:32] Some jurisdictions in Australia (Commonwealth, ACT, Queensland and Victoria) have specific Acts of Parliament that require new laws to be scrutinised by Parliamentary committees to ensure compatibility with human rights. There are many shortcomings to this system as a means of protecting human rights, since the executive government of the day often controls the process and political expediency often wins out,

[12:03] In ACT, Queensland and Victoria, courts can also declare laws passed by Parliament to be incompatible with human rights, although these declarations are not legally enforceable.

[12:39] Courts are also an important source of common law human rights. However, common law rights can be overridden by Parliament.

[14:17] Businesses are beginning to emphasise respect for human rights although there is a way to go before they can genuinely say they do so as their understanding of what human rights are and how they may be impacting human rights are still a work in progress.

[17:44] Natural law is a philosophy that says that human made laws should be based on morality, and ethics and what's inherently correct and natural. Human rights are aligned to natural law.

[19:18] We should ensure that all our laws and all those responsible for passing laws and interpreting laws receive the right grounding in human rights, Moreover, if our country's Constitutions enshrine human rights protections and if businesses are accountable for respecting human rights, we will have a legal system that is far more aligned to natural law.

For more information, please visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.

Paul Watchman is a leading figure and recognised legal authority in areas connected with ESG (environmental, social and governance). Through a long association with the UN, he closely scrutinises law firms and their developing ESG practices.

We talk about the widespread greenwashing by Big Law, how large law firms really see their ESG practices as recruitment tools and use it for glossy promotional material, but in large part fail to walk the  walk on diversity, wellbeing, sustainability and transparency.

Show notes:

​[2:05] Paul shares his background as a lawyer in Glasgow acting for the homeless and victims of domestic violence, before he turned to academia and eventually became a partner at Magic Circle firm Freshfields.

[5:45] Paul says the levels of greenwashing he has found in scrutinising Big Law firms is substantial, having reviewed the ESG practices claimed by 55 international law firms.

[7:06] As a Big Law insider of many decades, Paul is well-equipped to judge what large law firms are promoting about their ESG credentials and what is actually true.  What he found was exaggeration of the scale and depth of ESG practices.

[9:58] ESG specialism takes a commitment to learning, plus practical experience. The true number of ESG legal specialists is significantly smaller than what is claimed collectively by law firms. Genuine specialists would be known by the long-time practitioners in the area.

[12:11] Paul expands on law firms using their ESG practices as a recruitment tool while their own records on diversity and wellbeing are dismal.

[15:11] According to Paul, one of the biggest drivers of unhealthy culture in large law firms  is the billable hour model which reduces lawyers to resources and puts young lawyers under tremendous pressure.

[16:40] The billable hour model also mitigates against the specialism needed for ESG lawyers to develop due to the investment in learning required which short-termism does not allow for.

[19:39] Paul identifies specialist niche legal practices as one of the reasons for optimism in the development of authentic ESG legal practices. Niche practices can also choose clients who are aligned with their own values, which Big Law is not prepared to do.

[23:43] Another point of pressure ought to come from general counsels and in-house legal counsels holding law firms accountable for diversity and inclusion in their workforce, including by demanding audits.

[27:34] In Paul's direct experience, large law firms are extremely reluctant to provide statistics on diversity gender at the top of the tree in their structures, which is equity partnership.

[30:03] We discuss how the real problem with Big Law and the ESG greenwash and hypocrisy is a fundamental lack of transparency.

[35:31] I ask Paul for advice to young up and coming ESG lawyers and his extremely insightful message is to be courageous, be focussed, be imaginative and be mindful of how ESG is  changing structures and public expectations, such as by applying public law standards to multinational corporations.

For more, please visit the episode page at the New Earth lawyer website.