Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

It is integral for lawyers to have a community upon whom they can lean for personal and professional guidance. For three in-house counsel, living together in Sydney's lower north shore means such support is never far away. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Thales Group legal counsel Lena Chapple, her sister and Stockland legal counsel, Eva Chapple, and Eva's fiance and TabCorp senior corporate lawyer, Ashley Kerr. Together, the trio discuss what living together has taught them about the need for regular debriefing about the idiosyncratic stresses of in-house life, why it is crucial for corporate counsel to have a "squad", and why looming challenges for those in-house mean that having mentors and networks will place one in good stead moving forward.

Drones are becoming more and more prominent in everyday society, providing invaluable assistance for agribusinesses through to personal use. But, with commercial drone use on the rise, what should its place be in day-to-day legal practice? In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Agility Legal managing solicitor Tom Pils - otherwise known as The Drone Lawyer - outlines where Australia is at with regulating the various uses of drone technology, how we are faring internationally, what are the implications for broader society, and how lawyers can and may utilise drones in the future.

The law students of today, who will become the lawyers of tomorrow, are not prepared to accept a workplace culture where bullying, sexual harassment and lack of care for mental health exists, says the Australian Law Students' Association. On this week's episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, ALSA outgoing president Erin Ritchie and incoming president Margaret Cai discuss the issues that are important for law students around Australia, outline the issues that ALSA is advocating on at present, and lay down the gauntlet for the profession to change environmental factors of the past that have no place in the legal profession of the future.

On this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, R U OK? non-executive director Graeme Cowan explains what it means to identify, trust and act on the signs and symptoms of ill-health in the workplace - not just today, but every day.

There are many professional and leadership elements that make up a good general counsel, but none are more important than the ability to foster a positive culture in the workplace, argues an award-winning GC. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment James Hebron - who recently won the General Counsel of the Year Award and Excellence Award at the recent Australian Law Awards - details his journey to becoming a GC, what he learned along the way, and what is needed to ensure personal and professional success as a senior leader in the in-house space.  

Recent research conducted by Deloitte on the volume of unpaid work being undertaken by women across the board sheds new light on the issues facing females in Australia's legal profession, barrister Jane Needham argues on this week's episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show. In conversation with host Jerome Doraisamy, Ms Needham - who is also the former president of the New South Wales Bar Association - reflects on her own journey in law, what life is like at the bar for women, and what more the profession at large can be doing to address the inequalities faced by women, both in the workplace and outside of it.  

The results from the 2019 Legal Firm of Choice Survey are in, and Momentum Intelligence head of research Michael Johnson joins host Jerome Doraisamy on this week’s episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show to discuss satisfaction levels, or lack thereof.    Michael outlines the attitudes, perceptions and priorities of legal professionals as identified in this year’s Survey. Also, in unveiling younger practitioners (i.e. those with 1-3 years of experience) as the least satisfied demographic, he explains the possible contributing factors for such dissatisfaction and suggests proactive measures that firms can and should be taking to help those coming through the ranks to remain satisfied throughout their legal career.

Senior legal counsel-turned-yoga instructor Amity St Clair joins host Jerome Doraisamy on this week’s episode of The Corporate Counsel Show to discuss why she has recently taken a break from law to focus on teaching Japanese yoga. She shares how practicing yoga helped her bring more of herself to work, the lessons she was able to apply in her day-to-day life and how yoga helped shape her into a better leader in the work place. In conversation with Jerome, she also discusses the issues and challenges for lawyers in the in-house space, the role of general counsel in fostering a more hospitable workplace environment and the importance of having conversations around any issues that arise in the workplace.

Principal of SBA Legal and treasurer of NSW Council of Civil Liberties Stephen Blanks joins host Jerome Doraisamy on this week’s episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show to discuss the role of ethics in law and its relationship to civil liberties. Stephen discusses ethical considerations that legal professionals need to be aware of, the relationship between ethics and civil liberties and why legal professionals need to ensure they aren’t just doing what their clients want. He also discusses the current political landscape, the environment around parliament and how lawyers in the workplace should view civil liberties.

Diane Yui – also known by her stage name, Astral Days – reveals why she stepped away from her legal career to start a pole dancing studio on this week’s episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, with host Jerome Doraisamy. Dianne reveals why she left legal practice, the benefits of pole on her wellbeing, why she believes it can make someone a better lawyer and the stigma around pole dancing and some the challenges she has faced. She also shares why she recommends for those who are “pole curious” to just give it a go and why law firms should be looking at implementing pole as a lunchtime activity for staff.