Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

As is the case with one student, young lawyers who have not been a victim of sexual harassment and bullying are fast becoming the exception and not the rule. In an effort to address the culture of silence that exists around these experiences and to push the profession further towards eradicating both, a team of students has created an online platform designed for anonymous reporting. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Naomi Neilson is joined by juris doctorate candidates Amer Nasr and Erica Giulione and bachelor of arts and law student Marcus Lee, three members behind online reporting platform Confidant. With help from two other students, Confidant could pave the way to a safer profession. Long before the Dyson Heydon findings in 2020 and possibly long after the most recent, harrowing reports in April, sexual harassment and bullying have been a plague on the profession made worse by a fear of coming forward. In this episode, the three members talk about how the platform could address this culture of silence by allowing victims to share their stories without fear of repercussion.  As part of the episode, all three students share why they think this app is so important to the profession today and how damaging the culture of silence has been to either their own personal experiences or those of their peers.  They also talk listeners through some of the other useful features, including options to take further action by consulting internal and external support systems. Victims may also be alerted when other users have reported the same person, which could give them all the confidence to come forward with their stories publicly.  Have a listen to the episode below!  If you have any questions about the episode or if there are any topics that you might want us to look into, please reach out – we would love to hear from you!  We’re also always open to new guests so if you have an exciting story to tell, if you’re standing out as a student or graduate, or if you can offer some tips for our young lawyers, get in touch.  You can reach us here: Emails: editor@lawyersweekly.com.au or naomi.neilson@momentummedia.com.au Socials: Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter or reach out to me directly here.

Having grown up surrounded by family violence, alcoholism and mental illness, Kristal Naividi was perhaps more likely to need a lawyer than to become one herself. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Coastal Lawyers owner and principal Kristal Naividi to discuss how hard work over many years saw her achieve her professional dreams, in spite of myriad disadvantages, and what she has learned along the way.   The pair talk about how setbacks in her life have shaped her successes, the non-linear line she walked to get to where she is, the need to “create a village” for one's self, and advice she would offer to other legal professionals about overcoming hardship. 

Legal operations are still in its infancy, and in transforming the ways they practise law, law departments may be overlooking a hurdle they are creating for themselves. On this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by LawVu chief executive and co-founder Sam Kidd – ahead of his appearance at the 2021 Corporate Counsel Summit – to discuss how the onboarding of multiple point solutions from a range of technology vendors may inadvertently, and ironically, be holding law departments back from more efficient and streamlined operations. Mr Kidd unpacks the flow-on issues and considerations for law departments to examine, outlines practical steps for in-house teams to better understand their pain points and formulating a clear data strategy moving forward and the need to think commercially. The pair also talk about how LawVu has been assisting departments with such questions recently and what it can do for teams looking to overcome this broader headache. Lawyers Weekly is thrilled to have LawVu on board as platinum partner for this year’s Corporate Counsel Summit. To learn more about LawVu and its work with in-house teams, 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 broken away from the “boys club” in law, Courtney Bowie has been blazing a trail to ensure that female legal professionals feel supported and encouraged to succeed and be their best professional selves – and the looming new normal further opens the window of opportunity, she says. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Her Lawyer founder and principal Courtney Bowie – who won Wellness Advocate of the Year at the 2020 30 Under 30 Awards – to discuss practical ways that women lawyers can take advantage of evolving workplace and environmental circumstances so as to thrive professionally in ways that make sense to them. The pair talk about the importance of “finding a tribe”, new issues to contend with and how best to triage these, having a conversation with employers about revamped workplace arrangements, setting the right boundaries, practical tips to put the best foot forward, and how best to encourage male colleagues to support gender issues in law. 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!

By her own admission, Immediation founder and barrister Laura Keily had no technological expertise when she founded her online dispute resolution platform. But, by taking the right practical steps, she has been able to turn her vision into a success. On this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in collaboration with Immediation, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Laura Keily to discuss why she decided to become a legal tech founder four years ago and how she did it. Ms Keily outlines necessary actions that must be taken to make one’s vision viable, including but not limited to engaging the right experts, how to source funding and being able to move with shifting environmental goalposts. The pair also discuss the evolving nature of alternative dispute resolution, managing the juggle of running a barrister’s practice and a tech company simultaneously, and whether the post-pandemic new normal will offer favourable conditions for those wanting to launch their own legal tech ventures. Immediation is a gold partner for next week’s Corporate Counsel Summit. At that event, Ms Keily and Immediation justice partnerships lead Rebecca Ross will discuss how to take advantage of rapid digitisation in the wake of COVID-19 so as to resolve disputes more efficiently and effectively. To learn more, 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 latecomer to law who ran businesses in other industries, Caralee Fontenele understands that most businesses have the same problems, and firm owners who ignore invaluable insights from data do so at their own peril. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Collective Family Law Group director Caralee Fontenele to discuss why it is essential for small law firms to effectively utilise data insights in order to thrive in the post-pandemic new normal. The pair delve into what data can teach us and the extent to which it can and should influence the strategic thinking of a firm. They also talk about how best to get started on the data journey, how much time and a firm owner should spend on it, and other practical steps to take into consideration in better formulating goals so that the business can 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!

With more and more peaceful protests taking to the streets to protect and defend social justice issues like Indigenous rights, Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement, a youth-based team of law students has put together an important guide to inform the community on what their rights are and how to seek legal help.  Rest of copy:  In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Naomi Neilson is joined by Australian National University law student and GreenLaw founder Annika Reynolds to discuss the important work that she and her young team have put into creating the first-of-its-kind guide to protesting rights in Australia’s capital.  The guide was created to provide vital protesting information to organisers and legal advocates who could then inform attendees about police powers, the rights of protesters in public spaces, legal support services, potential offences and their penalties. It has already generated interest among many community groups.  In our chat, Annika provides some real-world examples of its uses and gives listeners a look into how it could potentially be used in situations where police have detained individuals who are peacefully protesting. You can find the guide here.  Annika also touches on how she came to create a whole, youth-based organisation in the middle of her studies, what other GreenLaw initiatives she is most proud of, and she has some great advice for other students thinking of doing the same.  Have a listen now! If you have any questions about the episode or if there are any topics that you might want us to look into, please reach out – we would love to hear from you!  We’re also always open to new guests so if you have an exciting story to tell, if you’re standing out as a student or graduate, or if you can offer some tips for our young lawyers, get in touch.  You can reach us here: Emails: editor@lawyersweekly.com.au or naomi.neilson@momentummedia.com.au Socials: Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter or reach out to me directly here.

Delivering a TEDx Talk was one of the most professionally challenging (but also rewarding) experiences Luke Furness has ever undertaken. The flow-on benefits from such public speaking, he says, can make one a better lawyer.    On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Clayton Utz senior associate Luke Furness to discuss the art of public speaking, how Luke’s life and various advocacy projects have led him to become a speech giver, and what that offers him – both personally and professionally.   The pair also delve into his experience as a TEDx speaker, what he learned, and why – in the post-pandemic marketplace – bolstering communication skills across all mediums will be essential to optimal delivery of legal services to clients.

In the aftermath of personal trauma, Niti Nadarajah’s first response was to hide that trauma from the outside world and pretend that all was normal. She subsequently realised that there was “so much good” to be had from being open, honest and transparent. Content warning: This episode contains content that may be disturbing or distressing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Philip Morris International head of legal for Australia and the Pacific Islands, Niti Nadarajah, to discuss her personal journey and what she has learned from deciding to be upfront about her life, what is happening and how she feels. The pair delve into Ms Nadarajah’s determination that good leadership starts with transparency and creating an environment whereby all employees feel comfortable bringing their full selves to the workplace and are supported no matter what. Such an approach, she opines, is even more essential in the post-pandemic new normal. Help is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14. Each law society and bar association also has further contacts 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!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you in collaboration with principal partner Taylor Root, Lawyers Weekly speaks to finalists for the Construction and Infrastructure category at the 2021 30 Under 30 Awards. Host Jerome Doraisamy and Taylor Root partner Hayden Gordine are joined by KCL Law associate Dominic Brown and Squire Patton Boggs associate Nikita Malhotra to discuss why they’re both passionate about their practice area of law, the myriad issues and challenges that construction and infrastructure lawyers have faced in the age of coronavirus, and what has constituted best practice to better serve clients during a year of extraordinary turbulence and uncertainty. The quartet also discuss looming opportunities for lawyers in this space to succeed in a post-pandemic market, what the recruitment space could look like, and advice they would offer to aspiring construction and infrastructure lawyers looking to set themselves apart. 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!