Former Lawyers Weekly journalist Grace Ormsby, who has been closely following the Lawyer X Royal Commission, shares her thoughts on the situation and raises the question of whether Victoria Police need more substantive training to better understand the importance of legal professional privilege. Together with Lawyers Weekly editor Emma Ryan, Ms Ormsby discusses the issues raised by the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants, whether cultural issues exist within Victorian Police and the grey area surrounding collaboration with legal professionals. She also shares her thoughts on the possible need for another Royal Commission, if the ethical issues uncovered are a wider spread issue throughout the country and how legal professionals need to ensure that justice is being held.

Award-winning barrister Matthew Littlejohn joins host Jerome Doraisamy on this week’s episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show to discuss why he chose to go to the bar at such a young age and why he is encouraging others to follow in his footsteps. Matthew shares the issues, challenges and opportunities he has faced in his career as a barrister so far, why it’s imperative to identify when you need help, and his advice for graduates coming through the ranks if they are thinking of joining the bar. He also shares why he uses social media to promote his chambers, how he navigates the need for social interaction at work and how barristers need to ensure they are looking after themselves in regards to mental health.

This week on the Corporate Counsel Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by CEO of the Governance Institute of Australia Megan Motto to discuss company secretaries, why the role can be very rewarding and the lead up to AGM season.    They discuss the challenges and issues company secretaries are facing, what makes a good company secretary and how the ability to understand personality and behaviours will play in one's favour.    They also touch on workplace culture within the industry and advice for those promoting healthy wellbeing within organisations. 

In May of 2017 Amani Haydar’s father was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of his wife.  In this episode of the Lawyers Weekly Show, Amani joins host Jerome Doraisamy to reflect on the incident, her experience as a lawyer navigating the resulting legal proceedings, and how the event has driven her to be an advocate for others. Amani discusses her role on the board of the Bankstown Women’s Health Centre, how through the creative industries she is leading a narrative around women’s rights, and shares where she believes there are shortfalls in the legal system surrounding harassment and abuse towards women. If you are in need of support or information, you may wish to contact the below services: www.ourwatch.org  www.whiteribbon.org.au  www.lifeline.org.au  or the national hotline for sexual assault, domestic family violence / counselling on 1800 RESPECT

Attracting and retaining talent is fundamentally important to the success or otherwise of Australian law firms. Culture, and its many facets, is inextricably linked to this. In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you by Momentum Intelligence, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Momentum Intelligence head of strategy Michael Johnson and Lawyers Weekly editor Emma Ryan to discuss the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, what the legal profession learned from last year’s results and what has transpired in the past year across the industry impacting cultural perceptions. They also discuss the high-level cultural factors that are playing a role in the selection of firms by graduates coming through the ranks, why established practitioners choose to leave or stay, and what lessons law firms can take from this nationwide report. To complete the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, click here.    

This week on The Corporate Counsel Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by a panel of senior practitioners from Coca-Cola Amatil, including, group general counsel Betty Ivanoff, deputy group general counsel Richard Conway and Australian general counsel Michelle Monteleone to discuss how they run their award-winning in house legal team. They discuss the key features of a successful in-house legal team, how they create opportunities in house to keep their team engaged and how integral it is to cater to the idiosyncratic needs of individual employees. The panel also touches on issues or challenges on the horizon for in-house teams and the importance it is for business to take note of what is going on in the broader professional services environment to foresee future challenges.

In this week’s episode, law graduate and newly-crowned Miss Universe Australia Priya Serrao joins host Jerome Doraisamy to share how, as a soon-to-be solicitor, she came to enter her first-ever modelling competition. They also chat about her career plans, vision to use her new platform to advocate for issues she is passionate about, how she balanced work in the legal profession in the lead-up to the competition and her thoughts on why law students and lawyers should explore creative avenues outside of study and practice.  

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. Law firms need bystander provisions to not only help combat instances of sexual harassment and bullying, but better ingrain a culture whereby such misconduct is unacceptable and all persons can feel safe, argues Larissa Andelman. In this week’s episode, Women Lawyers NSW president Larissa Andelman discusses bystander provisions: what they are, the context in which they apply, why they are so important and how firms are implementing these through education and behavioural training. The episode also touches on the issue of law firms without provisions and advice for young women coming through the ranks around sexual harassment and bullying.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you by the Law Society of New South Wales, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Law Society president Elizabeth Espinosa, InCounsel managing director David Bushby and Federal Court of Australia digital practice registrar Jessica Der Matossian   Check out their discussion on the future of legal practice in its current changing environment, the importance of legal professionals undertaking an ongoing lifelong learning approach to the practice of law, and get a sneak peek peak into the upcoming FLIP Conference  and what attendees can expect.  

Tal Williams partner at Holman Webb Lawyers joins host Jerome Doraisamy in this week’s episode of the Corporate Counsel Show to discuss data privacy and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Jerome and Mr Williams discuss the key differences between the Australian privacy laws and the GDPR, what it means for Australian practitioners and the regulation of social media moving forward. Mr Williams also reveals the importance of having systems in place to safe guard your business in the instance of a breach, key dates for business who operate within Europe and how taking a proactive approach to privacy will be overall beneficial to businesses.

Legal practices around the world are experimenting with ‘new-age’ ways of working, including four-day weeks in the United Kingdom. Discovering best practice conditions will, however, largely depend on the idiosyncractic needs of the firm. In this episode, Jerome speaks with two board members of Minds Count, Canon Oceania general counsel David Field and Swaab managing partner Mary Digiglio to unpack whether a four-day week would work, the importance of flexibility and other such movements away from the traditional 9-to-5.

After experiencing what she perceived to be a "boys club" environment in the legal profession, Her Lawyer founder and principal Courtney Bowie decided to forge her own path by way of a legal practice dedicated to empowering ambitious women in business, with a team of female lawyers behind her. In this episode, Courtney and Jerome discuss the place of women-centric legal practices, as well as the wellness considerations and strategies abound with such a professional setup.

Daniel Stirling says that the industry is seeing people at all different levels, considering making the leap to in-house litigation roles because there is a real alignment with their skills. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by the director of G2 Legal, Daniel Stirling. The pair discuss the increase of in-house litigation roles for corporate counsel, what factors and trends caused the increase and what part the royal commission has played in it all.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you by InfoTrack, Jerome Doraisamy and InfoTrack CEO John Ahern discuss some of the issues facing lawyers and conveyancers when it comes to navigating mandates for e-settlements, how to turn such hurdles into opportunities, and why practitioners in this space have been slow to incorporate new technology. Plus, the pair dive into SettleIT, the new platform from InfoTrack, and its place in an increasingly share-based economy and marketplace.

As EOFY approaches, money generated for the partnership is a hot topic. But, across the calendar year, what other issues do partners have to contend with amongst themselves? In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy and Shine Lawyers legal consultant Samantha Mangwana engage in a two-part discussion: evaluation of financial performance by partners at EOFY, and issues that can and do arise at this time, and then an exploration of discrimination within the partnership ranks and the circumstances in which a partner might be asked to leave the firm.

Law graduates learn about trust accounting for clients to be admitted, but when it comes to managing personal finances, how well are junior lawyers looking after themselves?   In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy and SkilledSmart founder and law graduate Paridhi Jain how the next generation of lawyers can better set themselves up financially so that they may not only be more on top of their own lives, but be better, more successful lawyers as a result.  

Greenpeace Australia general counsel Katrina Bullock says that clients and the broader community must understand that individuals and institutions can be both commercially minded and environmentally sustainable. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, Jerome Doraisamy and Katrina discuss her vocational journey, passion for the projects she undertakes, and how that fuels a strategic approach to help clients implement new ways of thinking that are still good for the bottom line.

The recent establishment of the Aotearoa Legal Workers' Union in New Zealand, and its proposed advocacy against minimum wage breaches and workplace sexual harassment and bullying, begs the question: why aren't more Australian lawyers joining legal-specific unions or starting their own such movements? In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Electrical Trades Union of Australia national legal counsel, Alana Heffernan, to discuss the issues in legal practice that may give rise to a need for a lawyer's union, how such advocacy could operate and how to overcome perceived issues with industry-specific unions.  

There still remain hurdles to access to safe terminations, especially in rural areas of the country, and - with religious freedoms featuring prominently in the sociopolitical discourse - it must be considered whether new state-based laws emerging in America's Deep South could see light in Australia. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by barrister and chair of the Australian Lawyers Alliance medical law special interest group, Ngaire Watson.

Dr Madeline Hartley’s career path towards regulatory and corporate strategy adviser for Water NSW is the result of a lifelong passion for the sector and for educating people at all ends of the spectrum on practicable legal frameworks in the water space. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, Dr Hartley joins host Jerome Doraisamy to discuss this journey forged from a childhood in regional NSW, and to recount on her recent excellence award at the 2019 Corporate Counsel Awards. She will discuss the importance of empathy within the corporate counsel sector, the role of corporate counsel in the broader business context, and share her advice for others within the space wishing to integrate themselves as a trusted member of corporate counsel.

Israel Folau's ongoing battle with Rugby Australia, regarding the posting of his religious views on Instagram, gives rise to the question: to what extent can lawyers engage in personal discussions when it comes to politics, religion, or even transparent disclosures about mental health issues? Don't miss Jerome's conversation with returning guest Michael Byrnes about how much a legal employer can regulate the social media activity of an employee, and what we can learn from recent events.

Too often, professional services firms view staff wellbeing as “something extra” rather than a matter that is inextricably linked to the function and success of that firm.  In this episode, Jerome and R U OK? non-executive director Graeme Cowan discuss the mistakes that workplaces make when it comes to looking after staff wellbeing, the fiscal cost of not creating collegiate, hospitable environments, and the responsibility of boards to not only avoid health issues but proactively promote optimal wellness.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Viridian Lawyers director Richard Prangell and Kinny Legal director Jessica Kinny. Both Rich and Jess started their careers in the BigLaw environment, but within a few years, had left their respective firms to start their own boutique practices. By the age of 30, both had set up - and continue to run - successful sole practitioner businesses. In conversation with Jerome, Rich and Jess reflect on their vocational journeys, why sole practice was an appealing pathway, and how young lawyers can do the same.

Kate Cliff took an interest in a career in the social justice system after having two family members killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver who was let off on a lenient sentence when she was just 14. She dedicated herself to her law studies, had her future in the sector mapped out, and was then herself hit by a car while crossing the road. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Kate revisits her extensive time recovering from the resulting injuries, and how being told that "the old Kate doesn't exist anymore" and that she would need to give up on her hopes and dreams instead triggered a drive for her to live her best life. Kate discusses the role that meditation played in her recovery, the turning point that made her realise that meditation was instead how she would help others, and why she believes that it is the path to becoming a "multi-dimensional" human.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Colin Biggers Paisley partner, Paul O’Halloran. Jerome and Paul discuss some of the major current issues pertaining to IR law in Australia, how the looming federal election may change the landscape, the influence of IR law on businesses in 2019, and how recent events – such as the Banking Royal Commission can and have impacted upon IR law. 

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Keypoint Law CEO, Warren Kalinko. Jerome and Warren discuss pathways to success for those traversing a "non-traditional" career in law, new and exciting opportunities in "challenger" firms, and the importance of "rehumanising" the legal profession.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Gilbert + Tobin tax partner, Muhunthan Kanagaratnam. Recorded just over 12 hours after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivered the Coalition Government's economic blueprint in the House of Representatives, Jerome and Muhunthan unpack the proposals that will impact upon lawyers and the legal profession, particularly tax changes for SME firms, superannuation updates for senior lawyers eyeing off retirement, and the lack of funding for legal assistance services.  

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Griffith Hack associate, Dr Stefan Paterson. Intellectual property and patenting in space is a litigious space that will soon be getting far more attention. But what is also clear, when one examines space law more closely, is that questions around who owns what extends much further into cross-border disputes, mining rights and even military concerns. With so much international legislation in this area still to be determined, it is very much a "watch this space" issue.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Marque Lawyers managing partner, Michael Bradley. Australia's defamation laws are an ongoing source of debate in professional and political circles, particularly in light of our lack of constitutionally-enshrined protections for free speech. The recent emergence of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have done more than bring allegations of sexual harassment, assault and bullying into the public fore - they have also painted a new picture of defamation law in this country, and highlighted the need for law reform in relation to such misconduct and criminal behaviour, in order to better level the playing field for victims.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Auckland-based legal researcher and #MeToo activist, Zoe Lawton. In recent years, Zoe has been a leading voice in calling out sexual harassment in New Zealand's legal profession and has helped facilitate other victims of such misconduct come forward. This conversation touches on what the Australian legal profession can learn from our neighbours across the ditch, navigating concerns about career progression, evaluating our progress with cultural change, and ensuring that lawyers never again have to deal with such harassment and misconduct.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome welcomes back Swaab partner, Michael Byrnes. Jerome and Michael discuss the WHS issues that law firms across the board need to be aware of when it comes to idiosyncratic issues affecting younger lawyers in the workplace, particularly the impacts of fatigue, sustained stress, bullying and exploitative interactions with clients.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Herbert Smith Freehills partner, Jason Betts. Earlier this year, the Australian Law Reform Commission submitted its report on class action proceedings to federal parliament. Titled, "Integrity, Fairness and Efficiency - Class Action Proceedings and Third-Party Litigation Funders", the report considered whether and to what extent class actions and litigation funders should be subject to regulation, and how adequate current regulation is. Jerome and Jason discuss the report's findings and recommendations from the perspective of defendants, with Jason leaning on his and his firm's experience representing defendants in such proceedings.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Australian Bar Association president Jennifer Batrouney QC.  Despite impressions that legal counsel can’t or shouldn’t brief barristers on any given matters, there are significant benefits to doing so, argues Ms Batrouney, as she outlines the strategies those in-house can employ when it comes to collaboration with those from the bar. 

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Grace Ormsby is joined by Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, Edward Santow, and the executive director of emerging markets at LexisNexis Pacific, Myfanwy Wallwork, about the landmark inquiry looking into the status of rights and freedoms in a new technological world.  With artificial intelligence, social media and big data all presenting challenges and opportunities for the protection of human rights, this inquiry is well on its way to considering possible solutions to some of the biggest problems facing society in the technological age.  

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Smarter Drafter CEO Adam Long about the advent of legal technology and its influence over the modern legal environment.  Technology has evolved – and continues to evolve – at such a breakneck speed, that the question is no longer how tech advancements can fit into methods of legal practice. Instead, the question for law firms and practitioners has to be: how can one’s legal skills best adapt to the overarching and influential presence of tech? Modern businesses have to be tech companies now, Mr Long argues, and legal practice must adapt with it. 

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Swaab senior associate Monique Robb about how family courts will respond when religious disagreements get in the way of determining parental arrangements.  Family law legislation dictates that a Court’s paramount consideration should be the best interests of a child, and there are numerous factors that a court will take into account in making such determinations. But, in parenting disptues, what happens if the parents cannot agree on the religious upbringing of a child? Can a court determine which parent’s faith should be prioritised, and what religion should be seen as offering a better environmental, cultural or lifestyle pathway for a child? 

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Piper Alderman partners Michael Bacina and Andrea Beatty about the place of cryptocurrency in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. The advent of new technologies and a myriad social media platforms have made our social, cultural and professional lives exponentially easier, but such products and services have also made life for money launderers and terrorism financiers easier too. Those looking to counter such crimes have had their work cut out for them in recent years to figure out how best to stay ahead of the game and prevent criminal activity.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the principal of Melbourne-based mid-tier firm McDonald Murholme, Andrew Jewell. Even in the modern world of Tinder, Bumble, eHarmony and many dating sites, finding someone in the workplace remains relatively common. While on a social and personal level it may make sense to match with someone with whom you share certain interests or skills, interoffice relationships can be fraught with other issues, be it professional, environmental, or even legislative.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Will Magee is joined by Jesse Smith, director of operations at Sky Discovery. Will and Jesse caught up at The Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois at last year’s Relativity Fest, where they discussed Sky’s progress in the Aussie e-discovery space. The pair also take listeners through the opportunities available for legal professionals who are interested in grasping changes brought on by technology to shake up their careers.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy rounds up his editorial colleagues – editor Emma Ryan and journalist Grace Ormsby – for a discussion on the year that was and the year that will be.  2018 has seen a multitude of issues across the Australian legal profession, and 2019 promises to give rise to many more conversations about how those in law will operate and practice in the future. This episode showcases what the Lawyers Weekly team will be investigating and covering, as well as gives you a better insight into the team that brings you your daily news!   

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the new president of the Australian Bar Association, Jennifer Batrouney QC.    With the First 100 Years of Women in Law celebrations completed, stauncher positions being taken on social justice issues, and continuing evolutions in legal practice, there is much to do and talk about for those at the Bar. This conversation explores the ABA’s plans for 2019, the importance of advocacy on sociopolitical issues, challenges and opportunities for the Bar in the coming year, and much more. 

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Will Magee and Emma Ryan are joined by icourts founder and CEO Rebecca Grant, icourts director Relativity and consulting practice Matt Lam, and Relativity Asia Pacific team lead Stuart Hall.    This episode was recorded remotely at Relativity’s mega-conference, Relativity Fest, held in Chicago, Illinois. In this episode, Rebecca and Matt take listeners through the inception of icourts - a self-described legal technology partner for law firms, corporations and governments. The trio then dive into what their partners should know about the rapidly increasing and complex world of data and e-discovery, as well as what to look out for over the next 12 months and beyond.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you by Commonwealth Bank, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by a panel of prominent guests to discuss the strategies Australian law firms are employing to keep pace – both with their clients and also their competitors – across the board. This conversation responds to the findings of the 2018 CommBank Legal Market Pulse Report, which focused on the ways in which firms are future-proofing their operations in responses to the myriad and ongoing changes in day-to-day client engagement, legal service delivery, and other such matters for working professionals. In this discussion, we’re going to flesh out some of the ways legal individuals and institutions are effecting change, as well as some of the issues, challenges and opportunities on the horizon.  The panelists for this episode are: Marc Totaro (national head of professional services at Commonwealth Bank), George Beaton (executive chairman of Beaton Research and Consulting) and Emma Heuston (practice leader at NewLaw firm LegalVision).

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, brought to you by UniSearch, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by a panel of prominent guests to discuss how best to engage an expert. With the rate of litigious matters on the rise, it is increasingly important that practitioners be aware not only of their duties in engaging a relevant expert, the most effective ways to instruct that expert, get an opinion from them, and also, whether an expert is needed at all.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show recorded in Chicago, Illinois at Relativity’s mega-conference, Relativity Fest, Will Magee and Emma Ryan are joined by Relativity vice president of international Steve Couling and Relativity Asia Pacific team lead Stuart Hall. Join us as we take you behind the scenes of the annual event connecting the international e-discovery community - and hear from Steve and Stuart about what Aussie lawyers should know about this burgeoning market.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC, MP the chair of Transparency International Australia, Fiona McLeod SC. This episode was recorded remotely at the recent Australian Bar Association/NSW Bar Association conference in Sydney and fleshes out why the Labor Party believes we need a federal anti-corruption body, what it would look like, and from the perspective of the legal profession, what such a body must look like in order to be effective. 

On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Coca-Cola Amatil legal counsel and The Learned Crew founder, Jessie Porteus. The landscape of legal education is rapidly changing, what with technological advancement, modern methods of service delivery and new and exciting vocational opportunities on the horizon. Determining how to proceed through the academic journey requires considered planning and strategy. In this conversation, we discuss some of the ways that the law students of today can best evolve into productive, successful lawyers of tomorrow, as we move into 2019.

On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Rice Mediations director Anne-Marie Rice. Anne-Marie went viral on social media this past fortnight for delivering a speech in which she offered a rousing call to arms for women and men across the profession to challenge the inherently masculine nature of day-to-day legal practice and ensure that practice moving forward can be more conducive to those lawyers who have responsibilities outside. In this conversation, we chat about the issues flagged in her speech and what needs to change in the future.