Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

By its very nature, criminal law sees a greater prevalence of mental health issues than most other practice areas, requiring many lawyers in this space to be “quasi mental health practitioners” as well as legal service providers. Managing this, on top of vicarious trauma, can be trying. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Dowson Turco Lawyers partner Nicholas Stewart to reflect on the myriad mental health concerns that affect criminal law clients and vulnerable communities in Australia, how such health issues have been exacerbated during the age of coronavirus and how these issues have changed the nature of legal service delivery in this time, and the extent to which criminal lawyers are required to go above and beyond in their care for the wellbeing of clients. Mr Stewart also discusses the scourge of vicarious trauma, the difficulty criminal lawyers may have in working remotely from clients, how change can be effected in being able to better cater to mental health concerns, and how the past two years have changed his perspective on what it means to be a good criminal lawyer. 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!

There has, arguably, never been a better time to not practise as a lawyer. This is because, Sam Burrett says, there are myriad opportunities for the next generation of law grads to find roles in the legal profession that can be more stimulating and exciting than anything we’ve seen before. On this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Clayton Utz client relationship manager Sam Burrett to talk about his personal journey of coming to terms with not being a practising lawyer (something he’d envisioned for himself) and what this said about him and his career, the social influences around what being a lawyer is, what it means to be in a law-adjacent role, and what such roles could look like in the future. Mr Burrett also dives into why such law-adjacent roles are shaping up to be so important in a post-pandemic world, what they entail day to day, the trajectory of such roles, how to learn more about them, why turning away from more traditional vocational pathways is so exciting, and why there has perhaps never been a better time to not be a lawyer. 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 2010, Dr Dinesh Palipana was involved in a car accident that left him with quadriplegia. Now working as an ER doctor, he has a greater appreciation for the inextricable importance of the law in supporting vulnerable persons in society, as well as his role in advocating for meaningful change. On this episode of  The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Dr Dinesh Palipana, the 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year, to discuss his experiences in law school and subsequent mental health issues, his appreciation for the rule of law and its capacity to help fight for people, the car accident that left him wheelchair-bound and the physical and psychological aftermath of that accident, and how it has provided him with the opportunity to hopefully leave the world a better place. Dr Palipana also outlines the crux of his advocacy and what he is hoping to achieve – not just for persons living with disability, but more broadly – and how the rule of law can assist, how the age of coronavirus has reinforced existing issues in Australian society, and what his personal ambitions are moving forward (including becoming both a pilot and a barrister). 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!

On this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with LexisNexis Pacific, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with LexisNexis legal software solutions sales manager David Atherton-Cooper about the inextricable need for practitioners and business owners to ensure they are striking a balance that not only makes sense to them but also ensures that they are in control of the firms they operate. The pair reflect on the state of affairs for legal business owners in the wake of the age of coronavirus, where the industry is at with regards to increased commercial activity, demand for private client services, scattered workforces and workplace challenges, as well as additional hurdles including reduced reliance on paper and keeping track of caseloads. Mr Atherton-Cooper then discusses the symptoms that might indicate whether a business owner has crossed the threshold of a firm running that practitioner versus being the one running a firm, the questions that such practitioners must answer if they are to change that dynamic, the place of technology in making life easier, finding the best of both worlds from a practice management perspective, and what kinds of technological solutions business owners should be looking for. For more information on Lexis Affinity and Affinity Connect, 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 property lawyer, what gets Lisa Briese out of bed in the morning is seeing buildings get built. Having spent over 16 years in-house, she now works as an external provider with a team that moved from the in-house realm into an incorporated legal practice – a move which, she says, offers substantial perspective on how lawyers can serve clients and what those clients need from their lawyers. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Arena Law executive counsel Lisa Briese to discuss how and why her team moved from in-house to the external realm – something she says she is seeing “more and more” from in-house lawyers, and the vocational and administrative reasons for corporate counsel to reconfigure the day-to-day makeup of their practices, as well as the lessons for providers and clients in doing so. Ms Briese also reflects on her passion for property law, the joy of being able to tangibly appreciate the work she does while walking down the street, constructing what one’s day looks like once one reaches a certain level, and appreciating what one’s personal boundaries must be. 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!

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman joins The Lawyers Weekly Show to discuss the increasing prevalence of scams and other cyber issues, particularly in the wake of natural disasters. Dealing with such issues, she says, must be “right at the top of the list” for lawyers. A-G Fentiman – speaking to host Jerome Doraisamy during Queensland’s 2022 Law Week – detailed why a spotlight on the rise of scams is so important, the extent to which Queenslanders have experienced scams in recent times and why, and the stigma and shame that comes from suffering a scam or cyber attack (whether one is an individual or part of a business). She also reflects on the scams that have been undertaken on the back of multiple natural disasters in the state, delves into the current levels of community and professional awareness of such issues, the proactive steps that private practice and in-house lawyers can and should be taking to prevent scams and attacks, how lawyers can meaningfully assuage the fears of clients, and making data and privacy a priority in the state’s law reform. 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!

On this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, produced in partnership with Maurice Blackburn, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the firm’s chief executive, Jacob Varghese, about how law departments can proactively and reactively minimise the costs involved with litigation and ensure greater value for their businesses. Mr Varghese – who spoke at the recent Corporate Counsel Summit to in-house lawyers about the state of affairs with litigation costs – dives into the current litigation climate and the inherent costs, whether the age of coronavirus has exacerbated certain trends, the longstanding incentives in place to retain the status quo when it comes to the cost of legal services and how law departments can and should be responding. He also explains the need for in-house teams to “be as creative as possible” in getting lower prices, the danger of “leaving value on the table”, how corporate counsel are performing when it comes to better appreciating the need for value from legal services (especially in a turbulent time), the need to explore litigation funding services, where litigation costs sit in the triage of urgent priorities for law departments and the questions to ask in getting on the right track. To learn more about Maurice Blackburn and its litigation funding services, click here and here, respectively.

While some businesses may use the NewLaw tag as a “marketing ploy”, there has never been more choice – both for lawyers and buyers of legal services – and, as such, the value of NewLaw methodologies is being reinforced as we head towards a post-pandemic market. , market On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Law Squared founder and director Demetrio Zema to reflect on how well NewLaw firms were prepared for and performed during the age of coronavirus (relative to more traditional practices), how certain methodologies were validated during the last two years, and how the term NewLaw may have evolved during this time. Mr Zema also responds to the idea that “NewLaw is no longer new”, offers his thoughts on large law firms having NewLaw divisions, criticises those who use the tag for marketing purposes without making meaningful change, ensuring his own firm maintains its competitive edge by staying true to its pillars, why clients have more choice than ever before, and what he sees on the horizon for NewLaw practitioners and 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!

Given how much the marketplace is shifting, professionals and business owners have a duty, Natasha Blycha argues, to bolster their understanding and appreciation of the myriad developments in the digital space. It is not enough to simply use tech platforms, she says – lawyers need to pay attention to the subtleties and broader questions arising from such evolution. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Stirling & Rose founder and managing director Natasha Blycha to discuss what encompasses digital law, her interest in digital law (both personally and professionally), and the legal duties one must assume in better understanding the intricacies of digital law. Ms Blycha also outlines her newly established firm’s practice methodologies, the challenges inherent with staying on top of the fast pace of change in the tech and digital landscapes, accepting equity as payment in exchange for fees for start-ups that may not have the requisite cash flow yet, opportunities and issues on the horizon in the digital law space, and the need for “responsible change” moving forward. 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 sectors, the legal profession had to adapt to meet the demands of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Now is a good time to ask: what positive changes should be kept in the long term, and what problems might need to be solved due to new ways of working? Guest host for The Lawyers Weekly Show, Shandel McAuliffe, asked Michael Byrnes (partner at Swaab) and Carly Stebbing (founder and principal at Resolution123) their thoughts on the future of the profession, the challenges and ideas for overcoming them. The discussion included how to ensure junior solicitors can learn from senior practitioners when working from home. Mr Byrnes also raised that the experience of working from home sometimes varied widely between juniors in more cramped home-working conditions and seniors with the privilege of a comfortable home office. Resolution123, as Ms Stebbing described it, is an “online virtual firm”. From this standpoint, Ms Stebbing shared tips for the profession on how her firm has made remote working a success. 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!