Tilé and Olly Meets

We meet with, Jahan Kalantar, a Sydney-based lawyer, university lecturer, and entrepreneur who describes himself as a ‘little guy lawyer’. He attributes his human rights leanings to his proud Persian heritage, a dislike of bullies and a genuine belief that one person can make a difference.

Leaving a successful career in finance in order to pursue law, he was admitted to the NSW Bar at the age of 25 before establishing the firm of Executive Law Group where as the managing partner he oversees some of Australia’s most complex criminal, family and commercial matters. He has been retained both domestically and internationally by individuals and organisations when everything is on the line.

His work in advocacy, evidence, criminal law and human rights as well as his subject matter expertise have seen him featured frequently on television and in media and have helped him grow his social media following to over 363,000 followers on TikTok and a highly regarded expert who is often quoted in professional publications. He was invited to speak on the Tedx main stage in 2018 and has since

When not in practice, Jahan is a sought after speaker and workshop facilitator who brings his practical skills from the courtroom to help people take their skills to the next level. He frequently speaks to groups of entrepreneurs, high performers, students and the community about storytelling, community building, mental health and the power of communication.

Jahan’s keynote work focuses primarily on the skills and expertise developed while working in the law and how to tailor your communication for the audience. His work was recognised by TedX Sydney who invited him to speak on the main stage and his talk has been viewed over 386k times.

Digressions in this episode include a discussion about Jahan's coming to terms with his neurodivergence, his journey into social media and some really great life advice.

You can see all of Jahan’s work and learn more about him at www.jahankalantar.com.

Our guest this week, Theresa Jennings, began her legal career as a student volunteer at Cancer Council Queensland, and after Admission, she was offered a role within the Legal Team. Theresa has been a member of the Legal Team since 2016 and provides advice broadly across the organisation including advice on contracts, intellectual property, deceased estates, and privacy compliance.

She is a founding member of the QLS Diverse Abilities Network, which is a network that champions equal opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities within the legal profession and wider community. She discusses an Accessibility Guide for workplaces developed by this network.

Theresa has been a panellist speaker at events advocating for inclusivity of diverse abilities within the legal profession, including International Day for People with Disability and Global Accessibility Awareness Day. She has been invited to give presentations for LegalWise Seminars and to University students on the topic of diversity. In 2020 she contributed to the QLS submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disabilities Insurance Scheme about her experiences with applying for NDIS funding and the lack of reasonable accommodations available to people with hearing impairments.

Theresa is a manager and mentor to law students, and she is proud to encourage future lawyers to be understanding and open-minded about working with people with disabilities. In this episode, we canvass what allyship looks like to her, remember that disability is an important form of diversity, and a Proctor article, “Motherhood, disability and career” that she co-authored. Digressions include her adoration of author and disability advocate, Helen Keller, a funny but impressive MacGyver-esque moment and her delight making frozen delights.

Farzana Choudhury is a human rights lawyer, specialising in disability discrimination and homelessness law. Farzana is the Disability Law Supervising Solicitor at Canberra Community Law (CCL) and was previously the Program Manager and Senior Solicitor with CCL's Street Law program which provides free legal assistance to people experiencing homelessness. Farzana has channelled her passion for social justice through various initiatives, including establishing a legal education and advice clinic for women in prison, setting up a mental health justice clinic and investigating the application of poverty discrimination law frameworks as a 2019 Churchill Fellow.

At the time we met with Farzana in June 2023, she was the President of the ACT Law Society, and very recently became the Immediate Past President. She is the first community lawyer to have held these positions. Farzana is also a member of the Law Council of Australia's Access to Justice Committee and the ACT Law Society's Access to Justice and Inclusion Committee. In 2019, Farzana was named ACT Young Lawyer of the Year, in recognition of her professional and community engagement to support people facing barriers.

During our meeting, Farzana tells us about the 'Just Hearing' performance, put on by Rebus Theatre, Canberra Community Law and Canberra Legal Aid. Fortunately, there is an upcoming public performance on 20 October 2023 and you can purchase tickets here.

We also discuss the social scripts by Canberra Community Law and Autism Spectrum Australia, a resource of social scripts and templates for justice organisations.

Farzana also introduces us to the Canberra Lawyers for Diversity Network, which if you're based in Canberra, we encourage you to join.

Please enjoy our very informatve conversation!

In this episode, we meet with the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall.

Scott McDougall commenced as Commissioner of the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland on 8 October 2018.  Immediately prior to his appointment he was the Director and Principal Solicitor at Caxton Legal Centre in Brisbane where he contributed to the successful campaign to introduce a Human Rights Act in Queensland.   Since 1 January 2020, as Queensland’s inaugural Human Rights Commissioner, Scott has overseen the implementation of a dedicated human rights complaints function with the objective of building a strong human rights culture within Queensland’s public sector. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology.

Digressions include working with Andrew Boe (and missing a trip to Greece), learning about resilience and compassion and modelling that for our children, and some highlights from his time at Caxton Legal Centre.

He also references the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, which we have added to our reading list. Tilé also mentions the Diversity training found on the QHRC website, which we have linked for anyone interested.

We really enjoyed our conversation with Scott and we hope to read the book he wishes to write about his dad one day!

In this episode, we sit down with the Honourable Chief Justice Helen Bowskill. What an amazing and humbling moment for us to share space with her Honour. Her honour was sworn in as Chief Justice of Queensland on 22 March 2022, having served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 10 July 2017, and as the Senior Judge Administrator of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 24 August 2021.

Her Honour previously served as a Judge of the District Court of Queensland from 10 November 2014, in that capacity also sitting as a Judge of the Children’s Court of Queensland and the Planning and Environment Court. Her Honour holds the degree of Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the Queensland University of Technology, and was awarded the University Medal in 1995. Her Honour served as the Associate to the Honourable Justice Drummond of the Federal Court of Australia in 1996, and completed articles of clerkship with Minter Ellison in 1997.

Her Honour was admitted as a solicitor in January 1998, and as a barrister in July 1998. She commenced practice at the private Bar in Brisbane in July 1998. Her Honour took silk in November 2013. As a barrister, she practised widely in public, administrative and commercial law areas, with a particular focus on native title law. Her Honour is the Chair of the Judicial Council on Diversity and Inclusion.

Digressions include a desire to have dinner with Colin Firth, Taylor Swift-inspired career/life advice and her Honour's surprising (and refreshing) biggest accomplishment.

AUDIO NOTE: The audio is not at the level we want it to be, and we are still investigating if there’s a way to improve it (if you’re a sound technician who can help, please reach out!) and we will re-publish at a later date if we can fix it. The Chief Justice’s episode was just too good not to publish! We are working on transcripts for all of our episodes if this is of any consolation, we have also invested in new mics and technology moving forward. Thank you for your support!

“There’s a difference in seeing a person in action, than seeing a person on a pamphlet” is just one of the many lessons, law student, Kunal Nimkar shares with us in this episode. Kunal Nimkar is a fifth year law and business student at QUT.

Growing up, Kunal tells us that he was always told that people with disabilities needed to be “inspirational” and “amazing”, something that he still does not necessarily agree with. He tells us that as a child, he just wanted to be “normal”, with a respectable 9 to 5 and a family of his own. While this dream of his is still largely the same as he grows older, he has also realised that he wants to be an example to others with a disability, that a “normal” life is still achievable despite the adversities that we may face.

Beyond my academic endeavours, he trains in swimming and in the gym daily, in order to minimise the effects of his Cerebral Palsy as he ages. Digressions in this episode include reference to the Diverse Abilities Network, being made to play dodgeball in primary school and Scottish Fold cats.

In this episode, we sit down with his Honour Deputy Chief Magistrate Anthony Gett. His Honour was appointed a Magistrate in January 2013 and then appointed as Deputy Chief Magistrate in March 2021. Prior to his appointment as a Magistrate, his Honour was called to the bar in 2001. Since 2004 he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian-based International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law. In 2006, his Honour was awarded that society’s John Kable QC award for Young Lawyer of the Year and in 2019 he was awarded the society’s Presidential Medal. Prior to becoming a Magistrate, his Honour spent thirteen years at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions as a prosecutor, where he appeared as counsel in various matters in all courts from the High Court of Australia to the Magistrates Court of Queensland.

As a prosecutor he was a member of the Interpol Experts Group for Online Child Sexual Offences and a lecturer at the Management of Serious and Organised Crime Program. His Honour has presented papers at numerous international and domestic conferences, including as a keynote speaker to Council of the European Union where he presented on Australia’s online child exploitation laws. Deputy Chief Magistrate Gett is currently based in the Brisbane Magistrates Court after initially serving in far North Queensland.

In 2014 and 2015 his Honour travelled to Indonesia as part of a judicial assistance program with the Indonesian judiciary. In April 2021, he was appointed an Acting Judge of the Local Court of the Northern Territory. He belongs to a number of judicial committees, including the national Cultural Diversity Justice Network.

Digressions include honey soy chicken and fried rice, and his favourite books/films, The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, and the English Patient by Anthony Minghella.

In this episode, we sit down with the reserved but savvy Simon Playford. His country charm, sense of community, and enthusiasm have allowed him to stand out and build a unique profile for himself and his career. He speaks honestly with us about fixed moments in his life that have shaped him, such as losing his dad at a young age, coming out in his early 20s to pivotal career moments.

Simon is an accomplished legal professional and revered community leader. With a Bachelor of Law and Business from UniSQ, graduating in 2017, Simon has cultivated a remarkable reputation. Currently serving as the Legal Counsel at the National Heart Foundation of Australia, he brings his wealth of knowledge and experience from private law firms to one of the largest charities in the nation.

Simon's influence extends beyond his professional role. As a leader in multiple legal organisations, including the Law Council of Australia's Young Lawyers Committee (as Deputy Chair) and the Queensland Law Society's Future Leaders Committee, he actively shapes the future of the legal profession. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Simon was awarded UniSQ's Young Alumnus of the Year in 2022. He remains deeply committed to volunteering and community work, exemplified by his role as the Independent Chair for the Toowoomba Headspace Consortium.

Simon subscribes to the Greek proverb that society flourishes when you plant trees for shade you will never sit in. He stresses the importance of paying it forward for the next generation and impressed on us the importance of protecting one’s time and mental health as key cornerstones of success

In this episode, we sit down with the fabulous Kara Cook GAICD. Kara has been an advocate and voice for those who need it most throughout her career, which has spanned across law, politics, and community services. 

Her skill set is unique, with expertise in community campaigning and advocacy, domestic violence, women’s issues, law reform, policy, fundraising, communication, and media. She is a former (or reformed!) politician, founded Australia’s first expert Domestic Violence law firm, has worked as the Principal Lawyer at Women’s Legal Service Queensland, is a former Vice President of Queensland Law Society, and more recently has taken on a range of board and advisory positions.

Kara has been recognised locally and nationally as the Australian Young Lawyer of the Year, one of the 50 Best and Brightest in Queensland, one of the 125 Leading Women in Queensland, and the Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year by the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland.

Kara, in partnership with her husband Joshua Creamer, a First Nations barrister, established the Joshua Creamer and Kara Cook Excellence in Law Award through Griffith University. The recipient of this award receives a scholarship that aims to increase the number of female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander barristers practicing at the Queensland Bar by promoting and encouraging excellence in the study of law. The scholarship is awarded to an eligible First Nations female student enrolled in their final year of law at Griffith University. Presently, and if you’ve been following our podcast, you will know there is only one of two female First Nations barristers in Queensland. This scholarship aims to increase this number!

Kara was recently appointed as the CEO of Basic Rights (and Working Women) Queensland (BRQ). BRQ is a state-wide specialist community legal centre, providing Free advice, advocacy and legal services.

In this episode, we sit down with Avelina Tarrago, one of two female First Nation's barristers in Queensland (and one of six female First Nation's barristers in Australia) at the time of writing this profile. Avelina shares beautifully about the impact her mum, and her First Nation's fighting spirit, has had on her career and desire to advocate and support First Nations and human rights causes.

Avelina has held senior roles in various organisations, including senior legal officer for the Office of the Health Ombudsman Queensland and counsel assisting in the Coroners Court of Queensland. She has been a Federal prosecutor with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and has also worked for the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and as a sessional lecturer at QUT for the Legal Practice Course on the topic of Cross-Cultural Communication.

In 2014 she was selected as an Indigenous Fellow by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to undertake a two-month fellowship in Geneva.

Avelina was the President of the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland from 2018-2022. She continues to mentor and support early career and aspiring First Nations lawyers, mirroring and paying forward the mentorship she received in her early career. She shares eloquently with us her ideas on the ways that the legal profession can improve action towards improving diversity and inclusion within the profession.

In 2020, Avelina was appointed as a part-time Legal Member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and in 2023 she was appointed to the Legal Aid Queensland board.

During our conversation, Avelina references the work of American educator, Jane Elliott, and her book "A collar in my pocket: The blue eyes and brown eyes experiment". She also references the autobiography of Mariah Carey titled "The Meaning of Mariah Carey".

We are excited to see where the future takes Avelina. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.