Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

General Counsel of the Year Kate Sherburn returns to the show to discuss why it is critical for the law department's work to reflect the broader business, its mantra and operations. Taking such an approach, she says, better allows corporate legal to be a good influence. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Who Gives a Crap legal beagle Kate Sherburn – who won the General Counsel of the Year category at the 2023 Australian Law Awards – to talk about why aligning the in-house legal team's work with the business's purpose is so critical, how she has looked to do this in practice, and the positive impact that such pushes can have. Ms Sherburn also fleshes out correlating legal work with branding and marketing, whether a balance is needed between business positioning and perceptions of lawyers' roles, improving impressions of the lawyer's role within a business, having a better understanding of the business one is working for, and how taking these approaches makes one's legal work more fun and interesting, even amid challenges. 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!

Like many professions, law can sometimes be about who and what you know. As this award-winning practitioner discovered, if one is the first in their family to become a lawyer, throwing one's self into vocational opportunities not only helps one better understand the profession but puts one in better stead with prospective employers. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Acorn Lawyers associate Samantha Moon – who recently won the Rising Star (Private Practice) category at the 2023 Australian Law Awards – to discuss her reflections on being the first in her family to study and practise law, realising that she didn't have a network as some of her classmates did, and how she moved to address this disconnect and work her way through as an emerging lawyer. Ms Moon outlines what she did to build her network and glean professional skills, how such professional development can be undertaken in a post-pandemic world, how such efforts bolstered her resilience, why all emerging lawyers need to immerse themselves in opportunities, and her advice on how to navigate the current climate and put one's self in the best possible position to succeed. 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 episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, we read into a new book released by a corporate lawyer and explore its major themes of parental leave policies and workloads on new parents. Host Naomi Neilson is joined by lawyer-slash-author Stephanie Vizard, who recently won the HarperCollins Banjo Prize for Fiction in 2022 for her new book, 'The Love Contract', which follows single mum Zoe, her new daughter Hazel, and their neighbour Will. In a fun and moving story, the three are thrown together by the dire shortage of childcare services and the parental leave policies that Will's law firm highly encourages him to take – so much so that a promotion into a partner position may be on the cards. With her own law career to draw on, Steph tells listeners about her own personal experiences with parental leave policies following the birth of her first child and explains what her own workplace did right. Steph also shares what it was like to combine her creative passion with the law (and how she balances them with being a new mother) and there are great tips for other lawyers hoping to do the same. 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 Clarence Professional Offices, we explore what lawyers and legal businesses can and should be looking for in a workspace and ways to mitigate the risk of a conventional office lease. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clarence director Tony Jansz about the swinging pendulum between working from home and working from offices, whether the legal professional lends to being in an office, the importance of community and collegiality, and how lawyers build trust and confidence with their clients. Mr Jansz also reflects on the evolution of the physical workspace as a result of the global pandemic, adopting a holistic approach to one's working week and what that should feel like, practical steps to tailor the working week to suit one's needs and those of the business, being uplifted by one's working environment, and what Clarence is and what it offers legal professionals and businesses. To learn more about Clarence Professional Offices, 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!

Becoming a partner in a law firm is a hugely exciting and satisfying moment, Aabid Farouk recalls. The transition, he notes, is not without its challenges – understanding how best to navigate that transition is critical. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Hazelbrook Legal partner, Aabid Farouk, about his journey in law and towards the partnership of award-winning firm Hazelbrook Legal, what it feels like to make partner, how one can begin to take steps to transition into one's new role and duties, and the questions to be asking of one's self in this process. Mr Farouk also reflects on the lessons he learned in those initial months of partnership, what works and doesn't work, making up lost ground if one hasn't taken the right steps, proactive versus reactive actions, making the necessary mindset shifts, what excites him about the experience of new partners coming through the ranks, and his broader words of wisdom for those joining the partnership. 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 episode, brought to you via our sister brand Cyber Security Connect, we unpack why Australia has become one of the world's most attractive targets for cyber criminals and how Australian businesses can protect themselves. Host Liam Garman speaks with AUCloud managing director and chief executive officer Peter Maloney about the factors that make Australia such a tempting target for cyber criminals, some of the latest tactics and strategies employed by those malicious actors to target businesses and families, how these methods are becoming more sophisticated over time, and just who is committing the attacks. The pair also discuss how managed security operations centre (SOC) service providers can support businesses, and what businesses must learn from the recent large-scale attacks to build a more robust cyber security framework. 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 Commonwealth Bank, we explore the myriad fiscal considerations for law firm partners across various stages of their careers and how best they can look after themselves. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Commonwealth Private's national director of professional services, Alen Sirol, and Clayton Utz's former chief executive partner, Bruce Cooper, about the importance of financial guidance across the life cycle for law firm partners, why such considerations are so critical, whether the legal profession does a good enough job of communicating the need for good fiscal management and navigating fluctuating market challenges at various intervals of one's career. The trio delve into the factors for consideration when one is aspiring to the partnership, becoming a new equity partner, transitioning to a senior partner, and once one has exited a firm partnership. The group also discusses the importance of proactivity, practical steps that must be taken, and broader advice for partners of all stripes. To learn more about Commonwealth Private, 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!

As a junior practitioner who has suffered debilitating mental health struggles, Kian Rafie is determined to see the legal profession get better at talking openly about our individual experiences. Talking, he says, can make all the difference. (Content warning: This episode contains content that may be disturbing or distressing to some listeners. Discretion is advised.) On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Piper Alderman lawyer Kian Rafie about the importance of having more frequent conversations about mental health struggles for lawyers, his motivation to be a lawyer, and his journey with and through anxiety, depression and suicide ideation as a junior practitioner. Mr Rafie also reflects on where he is now relative to years gone by, the support he has received from legal professionals, why talking is so important, overcoming the bravado that exists among Australian men, balancing the need to protect one's self in a still-traditional sector versus addressing one's struggles, practical steps that have helped him get better, and other words of wisdom based on his experience for those coming through the ranks. Help is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue at 1300 22 4636. Each law society and bar association also has resources available on their respective 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!

While progress has been made in promoting the myriad career paths available to law graduates, some vocational options are still being glossed over, says an award-nominated in-house counsel. As such, those coming through the ranks have to be deliberate about identifying the various pathways available to them. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Yarra Capital Management legal counsel Chloe Giamadakis, who was a finalist in the rising star (in-house) category at the recent Australian Law Awards, about the evergreen need for the next generation of lawyers to be fully across the bounty of career options to be explored. She reflects on her own experiences of law school and early career, how and why she went into an in-house role so early in her own vocational journey, the progression options available to those in-house, the extent to which the next generation is aware of the options available to them and what options need further fleshing out, being proactive about finding out the various options, finding mentors, why it's OK to investigate "alternative" career paths, and why being unafraid to try new things is so critical. 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 Carl Gene Fordham feels that the majority of lawyers and judicial officers "do a fantastic job" in working with interpreters and translators, there are underlying issues that must be addressed, he says, so that access to justice is not impeded for persons across the community. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with NAATI-certified interpreter and University of Queensland casual academic Carl Gene Fordham about the work of interpreters and translators in Australia's court proceedings, the problems that such professionals are seeing in said proceedings and in their engagement with court processes, and why such problems exist. Mr Fordham also details what he sees as being the flow-on consequences if lawyers or judicial officers do not meaningfully work with interpreters and translators, the practical steps that legal professionals can take to ensure better collaboration, the training and education to be across, and why making such efforts remains so critically important. 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!