Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Naiman Clarke, we explore how best candidates can navigate reviews with their employers regarding salary increases and promotions and what might constitute best practice if one is searching for a new role. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Naiman Clarke director Kristina Steele about emerging trends based on market research and conversations with candidates and clients, current market sentiment, the “wrong” reasons that candidates might put themselves out into the market, against the backdrop of power shifting back towards employers, as well as why candidates need to be pragmatic and realistic about their prospects for higher salaries, better titles, or being better offer elsewhere. Kristina also delves into the questions that candidates can ask of themselves if they do make the decision to enter the market, how employees can and should be communicating with their superiors as they complete their reviews, what might constitute best practice for employers in the current climate, and what she sees as an exciting new financial year ahead in legal recruitment. To learn more about Naiman Clarke, including its new salary guide, click here. 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!

Having to wear multiple hats is nothing new for small law firm owners. In the current climate, and against the backdrop of workplace and legislative change, proactivity is fundamental for leaders looking to stay ahead. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Gallant Law founder and principal Lauren Cassimatis to discuss the evolution of her firm since its inception five years ago, the practical and professional realisations one has around the need to wear multiple hats, how one has to regularly evaluate the hats being worn and why, and what one needs to be on top of as the new financial year hits. Cassimatis also delves into striking the right balance between proactivity and reactivity, whether the idea of wearing multiple hats is becoming harder in the current climate, the need for self-care as an additional string to one’s bow, the practical steps she will be implementing in the new financial year, lessons she has learnt over the years when it comes to balancing competing responsibilities, what constitutes best practice, and what excites her about the next 12 months. 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!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with FeeSynergy, we explore how a firm’s processes can and should be enhanced, including improvements to debtor management, payments, and the overall client user experience. Host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by FeeSynergy founder and director Miki Simonovski to discuss the ever-increasing importance of ensuring efficient cash flow for your business, best practice client experience when it comes to invoice design and self-service capability, and how law firm owners and business leaders are creating unnecessary headaches for themselves. Miki Simonovski also delves into current issues being seen with debtor management, payment and billing processes and models, client payments, how these issues can be overcome by legal businesses, and how firms can ensure easy wins. To learn more about FeeSynergy, click here. 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!

When faced with the possibility of losing one of her senior lawyers to a leave of absence, Bree Knoester – by her admission – initially adopted a narrow, traditional mindset around what that departure would mean for her firm. Ultimately, however, she resolved to approach the matter from a wellness perspective and be true to her and her firm’s values to ensure that the business’s interests and the need for lawyers to approach their careers in idiosyncratic ways could successfully intersect. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Brave Legal founder and principal Bree Knoester and senior associate Jyoti Haikerwal about Haikerwal’s decision to take a leave of absence for her personal and educational development, how Knoester initially responded but then reframed her thinking, and why it is so important for firm owners to adopt non-traditional mindsets to such leadership and recruitment questions. Knoester and Haikerwal also discuss how best to prioritise wellness and career longevity for staff, creating supportive, hospitable environments in which staff feel supported and encouraged to speak out, viewing the intersection between business interests and non-linear pathways as an opportunity rather than a problem, and what the future looks like for firms and individuals who can successfully integrate different interests.

Understanding the needs of the business you work for, and becoming more than simply a legal practitioner, is essential for any junior lawyer looking to rise through the ranks. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back UniSuper legal counsel Chloe Giamadakis, an award-nominated in-house lawyer, to discuss how and why she realised that being commercially minded was going to be so critical to her professional development, whether law school prepares one to think beyond technical legal skills, and why commercial know-how is so important in the current climate. Giamadakis also delves into evolving expectations and understandings of what it means to be a lawyer, the first steps to take in becoming commercially minded, questions to ask of one’s self and the law department, how and where networking takes place post-pandemic, how to have conversations with other business functions, lessons she has learnt along the way, understanding the needs of various stakeholders, making time for such professional development, and why she is a better lawyer for being commercially minded. 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!

Substantial inequities remain across Australian society, including but not limited to homelessness, energy and water justice, and disability rights. Here, we unpack where we’re at in combating pervasive social injustice and what the legal profession can be doing more of. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Justice and Equity Centre chief executive Jonathon Hunyor about how and why he became so interested in social justice work, how well Australia is faring in addressing social inequities relative to other jurisdictions, the polarisation of public debate, and the extent to which Australian practitioners want to advocate for social justice. Hunyor also delves into the state of affairs on homelessness, disability rights, civil rights, First Nations people, and energy and water justice, how lawyers can do more to help, how legal employers can and should view their corporate social responsibility, and why the Public Interest Advocacy Centre has changed its name to the Justice and Equity Centre. 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!

While over-indulgence with alcohol in legal circles is nothing new, it remains somewhat of a taboo topic for lawyers. Overcoming problematic consumption of alcohol is critical for employers and individuals alike to ensure a healthier, happier, and more productive profession. (Content warning: This episode contains content that may be distressing for some listeners. Discretion is advised.) In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by lawyer-turned-counsellor and coach Isabella Ferguson to discuss her journey in the legal profession, her struggles with “problematic” drinking while working as a practitioner, and how and why she now works as a counsellor and coach to legal professionals.  Ferguson also delves into the rates of problematic drinking among the legal cohort and the myriad impacts this has on lawyers (both personally and professionally), as well as the consequences for legal workplaces, the ways that legal employers can better support their workers, and what individuals can do to ensure they are living healthier existences.  Help is available via the Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1800 250 015, as well as via Lifeline, Beyond Blue, and related resources. State and territory law societies and bar associations also have support resources available via their websites.  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!

For small law firm owners, the stakes are high in tough economic times. Here, we flesh out the impact that the current cost-of-living crisis is having on boutique practices across the country, how best to wade through this period, and why it’s so important to speak with colleagues and knowledge-share. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Legalite managing principal Marianne Marchesi to discuss the impact of the current economic climate on small firms and their owners, how worried firm owners are right now about the cost-of-living crisis, and why it is so important to talk about one’s situation and fears with fellow firm owners. Marchesi also discusses the need for longer-term strategies as a business owner, being both proactive and reactive with cost management, investing in the right external advisers to keep the firm afloat, and other practical approaches to ensure that your firm can not only keep its head above water but also continue to thrive in the modern marketplace. 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!

In this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, produced in partnership with TransPerfect Legal, we explore how important data is to businesses in FY25, the importance of good information governance to manage risk, the use of AI in modern legal work, and some advice for in-house teams on how to deal with data before, during and after a dispute or investigation. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back TransPerfect Legal director Tom Balmer to discuss key reflections and takeaways from the recent Corporate Counsel Summit, how worried law department leaders are about litigation/regulatory risks, why information governance is so essential in managing these risks, and questions to ask/advice to help businesses improve. We also delve into how and why AI is currently being used to deal with increasing data volumes, the limitations and risks associated, the issues with AI in sales, and some advice for businesses to prepare themselves for disputes/investigations. To learn more about TransPerfect Legal, click here. 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!

Award-winning GC, public speaker, and author Theo Kapodistrias learnt early how essential it was to speak with myriad stakeholders in a language they can all understand. Doing so, he says, opens the door to more successful collaboration and productivity across the board. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Evergen general counsel Theo Kapodistrias to discuss how and why he discovered the importance of being a good communicator and how to speak to others professionally, avoiding “legalese” where necessary, how the post-pandemic working world makes good communication even more critical, and the questions in-house lawyers need to ask of themselves in order to become better at communication. Kapodistrias also reflects on the steps he took to bolster his skill set, the investment of time required, learning how to speak to different business units, the flow-on effects from better understanding how to communicate and engage, how high a priority being a good communicator must be in the current climate, appreciating the different modes of communication, how and why he uses video messaging, how and why he is better off – personally and professionally – for being a good communicator, and the book he is soon to release on these matters. 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!