The Callover

Joelene has worked in family law for almost 20 years and is a mediator and an Associate Director at McLaughlins Lawyers on the Gold Coast. Joelene spearheaded the Gold Coast District Law Association’s mentoring program in 2016 which is an ongoing initiative they provide today. 

We talk about when Joelene was first a mentee in law and her more recent experiences as a mentor and some of the questions she is asked to answer in that role. Joelene shares her advice with us about the benefits of keeping a “smile file”, something to remind you of some of the great days when you’re having a not so great one. 

Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson, Geoff McLeod for their contributions to the production of this episode. 

To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/Podcasts 

To find Joelene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelene-nel-5a830432/

To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715a

To contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honour of RUOK Day, our newest episode on The Callover features two special guests who offer their insights into how to manage our mental health to ensure we can sustain a long and fulfilling legal career. 

Retired Magistrate David Heilpern AM, who served in the New South Wales local court from 1998 to 2020 is our first guest. In 2017 when he delivered a lecture entitled, “Lifting the judicial veil - vicarious trauma, PTSD and the judiciary”, it was one of the first times that a sitting judicial officer had expressed such frank reflections, publicly, on the impact that their work had on their mental health. It inspired many within the profession to begin honest conversations about mental health.

Then we hear from Melissa Sadlo, a psychologist who works with LawCare, about when and how to ask a friend, colleague or yourself, RUOK? 

Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson, Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.

To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/Podcasts  

To read David’s full paper: https://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/benchbks/judicial_officers/lifting_the_judicial_veil.html

To find Melissa: https://au.linkedin.com/in/melissa-s-74913784?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715a

To find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub

To contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there’s anyone who knows about how to take the combat out of legal conflict, it’s Anne-Marie Rice. She’s now a Senior Judicial Registrar of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and before that she was a Director of Rice Dispute Resolution and the principal mediator at Rice Mediations. She’s been practicing in Family Law for 20 years, is an accredited specialist in family law and a nationally accredited mediator and a registered FDRP and Arbitrator.

In 2018, Anne-Marie won the WLAQ Leneen Ford AC Woman Lawyer of the Year and has otherwise been involved in QLS Committees and Family Law Practitioners Association of Qld.  For more than 10 years she has practiced and taught practitioners in mediation, arbitration and collaborative practice. In other words, she promotes a “positive approach” to problem solving and invites others to embrace the idea that “conflict can be resolved without combat”.

On this episode, we unpack what it means to take a positive approach to problem solving and the benefits of taking the combat out of conflict.

Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson, Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.

To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/Podcasts  

To find Anne-Marie:  https://au.linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-rice-33a62738

To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715a

To find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub

To contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In celebration of NAIDOC Week we welcome Joshua Creamer to The Callover. Josh is a barrister specialising in human rights class actions and native title. He is a proud descendant of the Waanyi and Kalkadoon people from North Western Queensland, received the National Indigenous Legal Professional of the Year Award in 2017 and sits on the Board of Legal Aid Queensland. On this episode, Josh shares his insights into the barriers faced by first nation’s people when entering the legal profession or interacting with it, and what can be done to improve. He also provides some great resources for young lawyers looking to educate themselves about the plight of indigenous Australians.
Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson and Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/PodcastsTo find Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-creamer-75616749/To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-HubTo contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After spending 20 years as a partner at a large law firm, Midja Fisher took a leap into a new career with a specific focus on building leaders with career confidence. Midja shares her insights about stepping away from a career in the law, imposter syndrome and how she uses the book, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”, to help her clients.
Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson and Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/PodcastsTo find Midja Fisher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/midja/To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-HubTo contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce Cowley takes us on a walk through his life in the law from when he began his articles in 1981 to his retirement from the very same firm some 40 years on. Bruce’s passion for the law oozes through in our conversation while he shares his insight into the changes, both positive and not so positive, that he has observed over his life in the law.
If you would like to know more about the 2022 Queensland Law Society’s President’s Medal awardee, this article in Proctor is a wonderful read.
Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson and Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/Podcasts To find Bruce Cowley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-cowley-7106a02b/To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-HubTo contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all make mistakes. What’s important is what you do when you’ve discovered it. Dan Rogers is the Principal and Legal Director at Robertson O’Gorman Solicitors and regularly represents lawyers in professional discipline matters.
On this episode, Dan talks about some practical steps you can take when you realise you’ve made a mistake to ensure you’re complying with all your ethical and profession obligations and how to seek practical help if you need it.
For more about the QLS Senior Counsellors program Dan mentioned and how they can provide guidance to practitioners on professional or ethical problems, visit https://www.qls.com.au/Services/Professional-Services/QLS-Senior-Counsellors.

Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson and Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/Podcasts To find Dan Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-rogers-25a88972To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-HubTo contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hon Margaret McMurdo is a trailblazer. When her Honour finished law school, she was one of a handful of women at the Bar. In 1991, she went on to become the youngest person appointed to Queensland’s District Court (and the first woman ever to sit on that Bench), before becoming the first (and still only) female President of Queensland’s Court of Appeal in 1998. Since her Honour's retirement from the Bench, Justice McMurdo has continued to serve the community in many ways.
On this very special episode of The Callover, in honour of International Women’s Day, we have the privilege of speaking with Justice McMurdo about her incredible journey in the legal profession.
Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson, Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/PodcastsTo find Margaret McMurdo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-mcmurdo-ac-94b8b4145To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find a link to the Taskforce website: https://www.womenstaskforce.qld.gov.au/To find out more about the Queensland Community Foundation: https://qcf.org.au/To find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether appearing in the Magistrates Court as duty lawyer or the Supreme Court in a high profile trial, it’s fair to say the Kristy Bell spends her days on the front lines of the criminal justice system. On this episode, we discuss her experiences working for both sides of the criminal justice system and how she deals with maintaining her objectivity and professional obligations when dealing with controversial clients.
Kirsty Bell has been practising in criminal law since 2011is an accredited criminal law specialist, a current member of the QLS Criminal Law Committee and is currently a partner at Howden Saggers Lawyer.,
Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson, Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/Podcasts To find Kristy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-bell-40121128/To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-HubTo contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Murray wasn’t sure he wanted to be a lawyer, particularly not after he failed two subjects in his first semester. But that was before he decided to buy into the university experience and give “making it as a young lawyer” all he had. We talk about what young lawyers can do to best prepare for life as a lawyer, the benefits of engaging in community law and local district law associations.
Michael is now a supervising solicitor with Townsville Community Law, academic and lecturer at James Cook University and the winner of the QLS Young Lawyer Award for 2020.
If you were inspired by Michael’s advice, you may want to check out your local community legal centre and your local district law association.
Special thanks must go to Zoe Navarro, Ella Thomas, Rebecca Murray, Eve Anderson, Geoff McLeod, for their contributions to the production of this episode.
To read a transcript of this episode: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/PodcastsTo find Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-murray-530860146To find Georgia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-athanasellis-21713715aTo find more content for young lawyers, visit The Hub: https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-HubTo contact the Future Leaders Committee email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.