The Callover

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, we have the pleasure of speaking with the Honourable Justice Lincoln Crowley.

His Honour grew up in Charters Towers and is a proud descendant of the Warramunga peoples. Since joining the legal profession in 1996, Justice Crowley has had a varied and impressive career. He has worked at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service in Townsville, for the Queensland and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, within the New South Wales’ Crown Solicitors’ Office, at the private bar and as the senior counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

In 2018, Justice Crowley became the first Indigenous person to be appointed as Queen's Counsel in Queensland, and on 13 June 2022, became Australia’s first Indigenous judge of a superior court when he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Queensland.

On this episode of The Callover, we discuss his life in the law and why representation and diversity are important within the legal profession.

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Nicky Davies is a Family Lawyer, Independent Children’s Lawyer, and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Aid Queensland. Earlier this year, she was recognised for her contribution to the legal profession when she was awarded the Queensland Law Society’s President’s Medal. On this episode of The Callover, we discuss the work of Legal Aid and explore the important role that independent children’s lawyers play in in court proceedings.

Find the transcript here.

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The Robodebt Scheme, introduced in late 2016, used income averaging techniques derived from data held by the ATO to raise debts and implement a reverse onus on recipients to disprove the amounts owed. The Scheme was ultimately found to have been unlawful and the failings of the scheme were far reaching.

On this episode of The Callover, hear from Justin Greggery KC, the Senior Counsel Assisting in the Royal Commission into Robodebt Scheme as he explains what lawyers should learn from the Royal Commission’s findings.

Justin has been practicing for over 20 years. From 2000 to 2006, he prosecuted numerous trials and appeals for the Director of Public Prosecution in Queensland before commencing private practice in 2006 and developing additional areas of practice including tort, administrative, commercial and succession law. In 2017, Justin was appointed as a King’s Counsel. He has served on the Bar Council for the Bar Association of Queensland and is currently the Ethics Counsellor for the Bar Association Queensland and the President of the North Queensland Bar Association.

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On this episode of The Callover, we have the Honourable Fleur Kingham to discuss her life in the law, her most recent appointment as Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission, and the criminal defences review that is currently underway.

Chair Kingham’s extensive contributions to the legal community in Queensland are quite remarkable. She graduated from law at the University of Queensland in 1982 and went on to become a founding member of the Women's Legal Service in Queensland and the Arts Law Centre of Queensland.  She has been a barrister, university lecturer, mediator and facilitator, the first deputy president of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, a Judge of the Queensland District Court, the Children's Court of Queensland and the Planning and Environment Court and the President of the Land Court.  Most recently, in April 2023, she was appointed Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission.

To contact the QLRC or find any of the resources referred to by Chair Kingham throughout the interview, visit: https://www.qlrc.qld.gov.au/

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On this International Women's Day, we celebrate the extraordinary strides of women across social, economic, cultural, legal, and political spheres. In keeping with this spirit, we bring you a true leader of the legal profession, the Honorable Michelle May AM KC, on The Callover podcast to take us through her life in the law.

Michelle was admitted to the bar in 1978 and when she became Queen's Counsel in 1993, she was the first barrister with a predominantly family law practice to achieve that level of seniority. In 1995, she became the first female judge of the Family Court, and after 22 years, she retired from the bench in 2017, and returned to the Bar. In that year, she was also appointed a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her significant service to law, judicial administration and professional associations.

Listen now!

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On this episode of The Callover, we speak with the Queensland Law Society’s outgoing CEO Rolf Moses to discuss the 2023 Job Readiness Survey conducted by the QLS in conjunction with researchers at Bond University. Rolf explains the survey results and what the QLS hope to achieve with this added insight into the profession's views on law graduates and newly admitted lawyers entering the profession.

To find the full Job Readiness Survey report:  qls.com.au/Content-Collections/Reports/2022-Job-Readiness-Report

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Walter Sofronoff KC has a formidable resume. He was called to the Bar in 1978, made silk ten years later and went on to become the President of the Bar Association, the President of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, the Solicitor General of Queensland, and then in 2017, the President of the Queensland Court of Appeal.

Since his retirement from the bench in 2022, Mr Sofronoff has led the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing in Queensland and, most recently, the Board of Inquiry into the criminal justice system in the Australian Capital Territory.

On this episode of The Callover, he joins us to discuss the art of advocacy, the importance of professional ethics and other lessons learned from his incredible career.

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On this episode of The Callover, we speak to Mel Scott, Senior Legal Counsel at Megaport, a global technology company. Mel has worked in-house for nearly a decade, after deciding to take the leap from a top tier firm just three years post admission.

Long before she was awarded the Queensland Law Society’s 2023 In-House Counsel of the Year Award, Mel has been a passional advocate for in-house lawyers.  You may have also seen her on Instagram and TikTok under the moniker @inhouselawyer or heard her on her podcast, Counsel.

On each platform – and in this interview – she shares insights into life as an in-house lawyer and demystifies (and destigmatises) the move in house for law students and young lawyers.

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Are you interested in going to the Bar? Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a barrister?

On this episode of The Callover, we hear from three junior barristers in Queensland (Melia Benn, Patrick Nevard and Georgina Morgan) about how they made the transition from the solicitor’s branch of the profession to the Bar. This episode is a must-listen for  young law students or lawyers thinking about a career at the Bar. Additionally, it also provides some useful insights into how to prepare a brief to ensure you get off to a good start with your junior counsel.

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Trigger warning!

This episode contains content about mental health and suicide. If you need to talk to someone, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

On this episode of The Callover, we speak with Denise Marshall, a Legal & Workplace Culture Consultant with the Queensland Law Society

R U OK Day is held annually on the second Thursday of September. It is a day to remind us to check in with ourselves, our friends, family and colleagues and encourage us to connect with those around us on the topic of mental health and aim to prevent social isolation and suicide.

On this episode of The Callover, we hear from Denise Marshall, a Legal & Workplace Culture Consultant with the Queensland Law Society. Denise will share the importance of protecting our mental health as legal professionals, why R U OK Day matters and provide us with some practical tips and key takeaways from the QLS Mental Health First Aid Course.

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