How to run a litigation team (and lessons from the rugby field)

In the current climate, effective management of the holistic wellness of litigation teams is going to be paramount – doing so will require encouragement of organic community, as well as drawing lessons from unexpected places, such as team sports. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back award-winning litigator Matthew Littlejohn to discuss moving from Darwin (where he practised as a barrister) to Melbourne to manage the litigation team in Victoria’s Office of the General Counsel, what teams like his do and the challenges facing such teams in the current climate, balancing proactive and reactive issues, and interpreting lessons from different Australian jurisdictions in practising law. Mr Littlejohn also delves into the role and duties of litigation team leaders in 2024, the ever-increasing importance of managing staff wellbeing and why this is so pertinent in litigation, safeguarding against social isolation when staff are working from home, encouraging staff collaboration and communication and why it needs to be organic, his foray into competitive rugby with the Melbourne Chargers and how it helps him be a better person and lawyer, leadership lessons he’s taken from the rugby field, and what other litigation team leaders can learn from the experience of rugby players. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!