Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

Dr Alecia Simmonds has always been interested in the ways we govern intimate life. Here, she reflects on notable cases in Australia’s past that explored gender dynamics, emotion, love and relationships, and what is says about our legal frameworks. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with UTS Faculty of Law associate professor Dr Alecia Simmonds about her academic work and interests, and the extent to which the legal battles that women have fought over the years have evolved. Simmonds also discusses her recently released book – Courting: An Intimate History of Love and the Law – and how she came to pen it, the cases she covered that were of greatest personal and legal interest, how expectations and standards around the legalities of courtship have changed, the takeaways from those instances, whether Australian society has learnt the requisite lessons from such sociocultural proceedings, and how optimistic she is that we, as a nation, can ensure our legal frameworks can sufficiently govern love and relationships. 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 Lorica Partners, we unpack Rick Walker’s experience of trekking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, what it taught him – personally and professionally – and what lawyers can take away when planning for 2025. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Lorica Partners founder and senior adviser Rick Walker about his upbringing and how this has shaped his life and approach to financial planning, why he chose to undertake the 800-kilometre route on the Camino de Santiago, not having any expectations going into such an undertaking, what the day-to-day experience was like across those weeks, and the insights and perspective he gained from the trek. Walker delves into his renewed appreciation for life’s small joys, the significance of documenting his reflections on the trek, and the lessons such an expedition offers lawyers. He explores how his client interactions have transformed, what introspective questions lawyers should pose as the new year approaches, and the critical importance of recharging and resetting during the summer break to craft optimal strategies for 2025. To learn more about Lorica Partners, 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!

Under Richard Wood’s stewardship in the last 17 years, Gilchrist Connell has grown from 40 staff to almost 300. Here, he reflects on his journey as head of the national firm and its looming leadership change next year, guarding the firm’s culture and sitting in an “amazingly competitive” space. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Gilchrist Connell (GC) managing partner Richard Wood about his journey in law, reflections on assuming a leadership position and heading up GC for 17 years, handing over the reins in mid-2025, and having a strong sense of the firm’s identity and vision. Wood also delves into his role as a mentor to the next generation, operating in the insurance space (which he called “probably the most competitive space” in legal services), challenges and opportunities ahead for GC, what it means to be a good leader in law, prioritising wellbeing of staff, and what he is most looking forward to ahead of handing over the leadership reigns. 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!

Here, the new co-chairs of the International Bar Association’s Professional Wellbeing Commission reflect how much conversations around wellness in law continue to shift and what taking data-driven approaches will mean for businesses, leadership, and lawyers’ advancement moving forward. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Desi Vlahos and Lucinda Soon about the IBA’s Professional Wellbeing Commission and what it does, where the legal profession is at – globally – in addressing holistic wellness issues, the introduction of workplace regulation and legislation to better protect employees from various hazards, and takeaways from recent research into the state of affairs for lawyers’ wellness. Vlahos and Soon also delve into taking data-driven approaches to improve health and wellbeing in legal workplaces, how best law firms and businesses can practically implement data-driven approaches, the four streams that the IBA will focus attention on in 2025, and what excites them both about the future of wellness conversations in the legal profession worldwide. 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 recent times, there have been positive signs that decision-makers in the profession – from attorneys-general to chief justices – take cultural diversity seriously. However, like many questions of parity, there remains much work to be done. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Johnson Legal principal and Asian Australian Lawyers Association national president Matthew Floro about his personal experiences and reflections on racism in the community, where we as a profession and society are at when it comes to matters of cultural diversity, and the lack of representation at senior levels in big business. Floro also delves into the appetite or otherwise for lawyers to address such issues, reflects on recent pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace, practical steps that the profession can and should be taking to improve cultural diversity, his level of optimism that the profession can move forward productively, and his broader message to lawyers of colour in the face of discrimination or a sense of isolation. 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 Thomson Reuters, we dive into the transformative impact of AI on the legal profession and the importance of early adoption and experimentation in leveraging this technology. Host Lauren Croft speaks with Thomson Reuters business development manager Ziggy Cheng and director of legal transformation Tyrilly Csillag to discuss how AI is reshaping workflows, improving client service, and fostering innovation in firms and legal departments of all sizes. Cheng and Csillag share practical insights on AI adoption, including key use cases, strategies for smaller firms to level the playing field, and the critical role of staff training and human expertise in maximising AI’s potential. They also explore best practices for experimenting with AI, overcoming barriers to adoption, and the future of legal practice as AI continues to evolve, offering actionable advice for practitioners navigating an increasingly digital profession. 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 Cyber Uncut, produced by Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, Cyber Daily, independent cyber security executive Tony Vizza and Lumify lead cyber security trainer Louis Cremen discuss whether boards truly understand cyber security risks – and whether they are doing enough to manage them. Host Liam Garman talks with Vizza and Cremen about how boards can have a greater understanding of the risk of cyber incidents to organisations and how they differ from other elements of risk that face businesses. The trio also discuss whether board members are told the full story by management and whether they should undertake their own cyber security training. The podcast wraps up by analysing the security implications of AI and how businesses can prepare their incident response plans. 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 countercyclical practice area of restructuring and insolvency has experienced a hugely busy calendar year, with the volume of work not expected to dissipate anytime soon. With that is coming renewed interest from the emerging generation for such legal work, says one BigLaw partner. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clayton Utz partner Maria O’Brien about her longstanding interest in restructuring and insolvency, how and why practising in this space feeds into one’s sense of self as a lawyer, responding to various market conditions, and why corporate insolvency has “really taken off this year”. O’Brien also discusses how regulatory scrutiny and parliamentary inquiries are impacting the landscape, the sectors that are being hit hardest and why, the experience of lawyers in this space in recent times, why new lawyers are more interested in working in restructuring and insolvency, and how to ensure best practice for clients in such interesting yet challenging times. 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 Holding Redlich, we explore the respective journeys and experiences of two recently appointed partners at the BigLaw firm, their perceptions on addressing gender inequality in the legal profession, and how best to support emerging practitioners. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Holding Redlich partners Megan Cant and Sarah Butler about their respective practice areas and how they both reached the partnership, what they see as the headline issues when it comes to elevating and supporting women in the profession, moving past tokenistic approaches, and how workplace changes are allowing individuals to flourish in ways that make sense to them. Cant and Butler also delve into lessons learnt from recent workplace evolutions for the experience of women, their duties as leaders in a BigLaw firm to set the right example, the opportunities to keep driving equity and parity forward, the role of men in such conversations, and what Holding Redlich is doing to support women in the workplace. To learn more about Holding Redlich, 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!

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, managing editor Liam Garman sits down with shadow minister for communications and federal member for Banks, David Coleman, to discuss the recent misinformation bill. First recorded for the Contested Ground podcast, released by our colleagues at Defence Connect, Garman and Coleman recap the bill and discuss what the government considers misinformation or disinformation. The episode will also unpack some of the unforeseen consequences, like how it may impact religious freedoms and genuine political discourse. Coleman finishes by sharing his thoughts on the government’s push to remove under-16s from social media platforms. 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!