William and Lonsdale - Lives in the Law

This week, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Jim Cosgriff, founder and partner at Cosgriff Lawyers in Echuca, country Victoria. Jim’s Life in the Law began as a boy, sitting in the back of country courtrooms watching his dad, Magistrate Bryan Cosgriff, in action. After high school, Jim moved to the big smoke to study law and went on to become a partner at William, Winter & Higgs, working in a wide variety of areas including crimes compensation and on behalf of victims of clergy abuse. But the pull of the country was too strong for Jim, and eventually he had to get out of the city, taking over a firm in Echuca over 25 years ago, and he hasn’t looked back.

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This week, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Peter Ward OAM, one of Victoria’s leading criminal law practitioners for over 40 years. Peter spent his entire career at the firm of Galbally & O’Bryan and worked on some of the most high-profile cases in Victorian history, including the Walsh Street police killings in 1988. Like most practitioners, Peter had to work incredibly hard to prove himself at the start of his career. He knew no one in the law and had no real connections, but Peter faced an additional challenge: being legally blind. It was a privilege and a pleasure to hear about Peter’s Life in the Law. 

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Today, we revisit our 2022 conversation with former Federal Court Justice Iain Ross AO. From ACTU Assistant Secretary to Vice President of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission; from County Court Judge to the president of VCAT; Iain has had a dynamic and impactful career, and we were thrilled to hear about his Life in the Law.

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This week, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Sally Nicholes, founder and managing partner at Nicholes Family Lawyers. Sally has worked on some extraordinary cases throughout her career, including a groundbreaking matter involving sperm donor rights and an international kidnapping case that she led as an articled clerk and first-year solicitor! 

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This week we revisit our conversation with the former Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria, The Hon. Peter Kidd. During his first few years in a commercial firm, Peter was unsure if law was for him, but a decision to move to crime ignited his passion for the profession. After his time at the Commonwealth DPP, he went to the bar and was quickly working on very large and often high profile cases, honing his skills and advocacy style, often under immense pressure. Peter also managed to combine his love of travel with his love of the law, working as a prosecutor at the War Crimes Tribunal in Bosnia; another challenging, enriching and fascinating chapter of his career. Our episode covers all of this and of course his role as The Chief, and is an enlightening and fascinating conversation.

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This week, we revisit our 2021 conversation with Genevieve Collins, former Chief Executive Partner at law firm Lander & Rogers. Over the course of her 40-year career at Landers, Genevieve was a Practice Group Leader for 13 years, the first female Equity Partner and Chair of the Board. Genevieve is passionate about innovation in the law, and to that end, she led initiatives in law tech and wellness within the firm - both of which became incredibly important when COVID hit! 

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This episode we welcome HH Mag. Trieu Huynh from the Bendigo Magistrates Court. At the age of one, Trieu and his family came to Australia as refugees from Vietnam. From this brave yet humble beginning, Trieu gained a scholarship to a private secondary school and ultimately completed a double degree in law/science with honours in genetics. Trieu has remained passionate about the law through every stage of his career. From the OPP and VLA, to sitting as a Magistrate, particularly in the Assessment and Referral Court, a therapeutic court that supports people who are mentally ill, have an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, autism spectrum disorder or a neurological impairment. It is an amazing journey from escaping Vietnam in the middle of the night, to a fulfilling Life in the Law in Australia, and we are thrilled to bring it to you.

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This week, we welcome Fleur Katsmartin, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Throughout her law degree, articles and early legal roles, Fleur never felt like she was in the right place. In her words, it always seemed like she was “too much”. But Fleur found her legal sweet spot working in-house, specifically in purpose-driven organisations. This clarity led her to some very large and very dynamic roles. Fleur had just become General Counsel at Healthdirect Australia, the national virtual public health information service, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. And she now leads a team of lawyers at one of Australia’s largest public hospitals, where she describes herself as a Jane of all trades. It was a delight to welcome Fleur to the show and hear about her Life in the Law. 

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This week we welcome recently retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria - The Hon. Elizabeth Hollingworth. Like so many of our guests, Liz is a high achiever from way back. At school and University she excelled academically, at sport and in leadership, which culminated in her receiving a Rhodes Scholarship to study a Bachelor of Civil Law, and row in the blue boat for Oxford. Interestingly, Liz did not feel particularly challenged or inspired by her commercial practice at the bar. It was when she came to the Supreme Court of Victoria that Liz found her true legal passion in the criminal division, presiding over many dynamic and high-profile cases. It was a privilege and a pleasure to hear Liz’s frank and fascinating insights and experiences from her Life in the Law. 

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This week, we welcome County Court Judge Sara Hinchey. Sara has had a rich and dynamic career in the law. From her early days at the bar, working in huge cases and Junioring to iconic barristers, to her time as Victorian Coroner and Country Court Judge. 

A passion for travel and cooking almost drew Sarah away from a life in the law. Although the law won out in the end, she has worked hard to maintain a work-life balance that includes running cooking classes and bringing produce from her garden into the County Court! It’s a great conversation and a pleasure to welcome Sara to the show.