Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

On this episode of Legal Lightbulbs, our hosts — Lawyers Weekly editor Jerome Doraisamy and Bowd chief executive Fionn Bowd — speak with Shakti Legal Solutions founder and principal Sheetal Deo about whether the legal profession needs to move beyond conversations about unconscious bias if we really want social change. Jerome, Sheetal and Fionn discuss the nature and prevalence of unconscious bias, where Australia’s legal profession is at in raising awareness of and addressing such biases, why it is exhausting to even still have such conversations, and why the profession may hesitate to explore other avenues of change. The trio also flesh out the unique opportunity that the profession currently has to enact substantial change, what such change looks like, whether radical revolution or a quiet dismantling of existing structures is needed (or whether there is a middle ground to be chartered), the hurdles blocking change, and how best to navigate such movement in the post-pandemic landscape. To learn more about Fionn Bowd, click here. If you have questions you want to see answered on this show, reach out to Jerome at editor@lawyersweekly.com.au or Fionn at fionn.bowd@bowd.legal.

Lawyers don’t always appreciate just how pervasive sport is — not just in discourse and society but also in the operational practice of law. Those who aren’t paying attention should do so, particularly given how many lessons can be gleaned for best practice. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Thomson Geer partner Jacquie Seemann about the need for greater cognisance about the place of sport in shaping the direction of society and legal practice, the lessons to be taken from recent sporting controversies both in Australia and globally, the extent to which the community wants sportspeople to discuss important issues, the advent of sportswashing, and how integral sport is to the development and functioning of society and its lawyers. Ms Seemann also discusses her lifelong participation in sport, winning medals at the Maccabiah Games, her involvement in community projects, why keeping up her personal investment in sport is so important to her, and the flow-on benefits she sees for society from sport. 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!

The past two years have seen high levels of movement, inbound and outbound, for in-house lawyers in Australia. With market volatility and uncertainty set to continue in the new year, it is certainly possible, if not likely, that such busy activity will continue in 2023. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back G2 Legal Australian director Daniel Stirling to reflect on the year that was in in-house recruitment, whether predictions made this time a year ago have panned out, what occurred that wasn’t anticipated, and perceptions about the advent or otherwise of the Great Resignation for corporate counsel. Mr Stirling also reflects on the challenges that are expected for the coming year, whether a potential recession will impact in-bound recruitment in certain practice areas, how in-house leaders can leverage resilience and shore up their resources, whether 2023 will see even higher rates of activity in recruitment, and what will constitute best practice for law department leaders in the new year. 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!

Emma Maxwell practises what she calls “NewFamilyLaw”. Operating a legal business in such innovative ways is critical, she believes, in order to not only deliver optimal services to clients but also to practise in ways that make more sense to the modern lawyer. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Anchored Family Law director Emma Maxwell to discuss the advent of “NewFamilyLaw” and why practising in such a way is critical in the post-pandemic new normal, how and why such non-traditional pathways are appealing to her, and the issues and challenges that give rise to a need to practise in different ways. Ms Maxwell also discusses the hardship she has faced whilst practising, what she has learnt from her experiences, why making necessary changes to day-to-day practice benefits everybody, knowing how and when to switch off, what such an approach looks like in 2023, and what excites her about such practical innovation for lawyers in the future. 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!

Emily Hickman has always had, as she says, a “deep care” for humanity and strongly desires to contribute positively to the world around her. As a lawyer-turned-intimacy-and-sexuality-coach, she is determined to help others better connect with themselves and the world around them, which will — among other things — help them be better at their jobs. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with lawyer turned intimacy and sexuality coach Emily Hickman about how and why she entered the legal profession, her desire to do good in the world, the ups and downs she has experienced in changing vocational direction, and the path that led her to upskilling as a coach for intimacy and sexuality. Ms Hickman also outlines the parallels between her former career in law and the work she now does, what an intimacy coaching relationship looks like, creating connections where people actually feel seen, whether lawyers will be more willing to be open about the various forms of intimacy in the future, why it is so important for such professionals to be open-minded to as to better serve clients, and how individuals grow when they venture into the unknown. 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!

Too often, in-house lawyers are afraid that they won’t be seen as hardworking or committed. However, speaking up for what one needs in order to flourish actually demonstrates an ability to adapt and better manage the juggle. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Royal Melbourne Hospital chief legal officer and corporate secretary Fleur Katsmartin about her construction of a pseudo-maternity leave arrangement whereby she retains some work whilst being on leave, why such an arrangement works for her, how best to make such arrangements work in the post-pandemic new normal, and how in-house lawyers can ensure they are getting the best deal for themselves. Ms Katsmartin also discusses her longstanding interest in the health sector, how she fared working as a sole in-house lawyer for a hospital during a global pandemic, the challenges arising during such an age, and lessons learnt for other corporate counsel from being at the coalface. 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, shadow minister for cyber security and shadow minister for countering foreign interference, Senator James Paterson joins Phil Tarrant (director - Momentum Media) and MAJGEN (retired) Dr Marcus Thompson to discuss the regulatory impediments preventing Australia from becoming a leader in cyber security. The group begins the podcast discussing the cyber security threats facing Australia and the role of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Senator Paterson then details how foreign interference and espionage have overtaken terrorism as the primary security concern for Australia. The team wraps up the podcast in outlining the importance of attracting the right talent with the right skills to power Australian cyber security businesses. 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!

Maithri Panagoda recently celebrated four decades in legal practice. In that time, he has learnt many lessons — including and especially the importance of integrity. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Carroll & O’Dea partner Maithri Panagoda to discuss his journey from Sri Lanka to Australia, how and when he realised that legal practice was his vocational calling, his passion for justice and the rule of law, the most significant periods and experiences in his legal career, and his perceptions of injustice. Mr Panagoda also details the landmark cases he has been fortunate enough to work on, the impact of those cases, his time working in regional Australia, the lessons he has learnt over the course of his storied career, his advice for lawyers in the current climate, and what excites him about the future of law in Australia. 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!

Australia’s legal profession has made great strides, in recent years, in transforming day-to-day practice methodologies. However, are lawyers their own worst enemies when it comes to achieving true and lasting innovation? On this episode of Legal Lightbulbs, our hosts — Lawyers Weekly editor Jerome Doraisamy and Bowd chief executive Fionn Bowd — speak with ALTA president and Legally Yours chief executive Karen Finch about barriers to innovation for lawyers, but also the unexpected creativity of lawyers.  The trio also debate whether legal practice should be focused on innovation even with economic storm clouds on the horizon, and the disparity between box-ticking exercises and truly innovative mindsets. They also provide some practical advice to lawyers who believe that things should be done better, but they aren’t sure where to start. To learn more about Fionn Bowd, click here. If you have questions you want to see answered on this show, reach out to Jerome at editor@lawyersweekly.com.au or Fionn at fionn.bowd@bowd.legal. 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-house lawyers need to be seen as an extension of business objectives. In order to build such an impression, counsel must learn how to effectively and clearly communicate across all business functions. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Airbus One Web Satellites deputy general counsel and University of Miami School of Law Adjunct Professor Krista Russell to discuss her passion for the business of law, the defined role she sees for in-house counsel, the gap in knowledge that law graduates have pertaining to legal practice, and why in-house lawyers need to be especially cognisant of the nexus between communication and business success. Ms Russell also details why overcoming challenges in effective and clear communication is so integral to overcoming other department-wide challenges, the practical steps that in-house counsel can implement to ensure they are communicating in better ways, avoiding particular phrases or terms that might be off-putting to other business functions, and the professional benefits that can be gleaned by corporate counsel if they simply learn to communicate more successfully. 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!