Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Commonwealth Private, we unpack what 2025 taught us about the investment landscape and how legal practitioners can interpret the market this year and into the future. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Commonwealth Private and Wealth chief investment officer James Foot about his headline takeaways from the market in 2025, the strength of returns for investors, behaviours and ongoing expectations, and what the next five to 10 years could look like. Foot also delves into how and why AI adoption has been highest in professional services, whether AI is a threat or opportunity, the future of US exceptionalism, the need for diversification and having a holistic perspective on the market, the role of alternatives in an investor's journey, and what lawyers should know about the year ahead. To learn more about Commonwealth Private, 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, X 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

In the past year, multiple appeals pertaining to trademark proceedings made their way to the High Court, speaking to the volume and complexity of developments in this area of law. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Halfords IP partner Aparna Watal to discuss her non-traditional path into practising IP law, why 2025 was such a busy year for trademark lawyers, how and why IP lawyers more broadly are being impersonated for scams, and why the High Court is receptive to hearing IP matters in the current climate. Watal also delves into the impact of ongoing challenges for IP lawyers like herself, the trends she's keeping a close eye on in 2026 and beyond, how best such lawyers can better serve clients moving forward, and what's exciting about legal work in this space right now. 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, X 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

Deeann Cropley has always wanted to use her legal skills for "purpose and good". Now running a Geelong-based charity while working as in-house counsel, she's found ways to not only make an impact on the community but also better serve as a corporate lawyer. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Barwon Water legal counsel and Pass the Snacks Geelong founder Deeann Cropley about her journey as a lawyer, wanting to use her legal skills for good, her Geelong-based charity and why she founded it, why its work is so important, its reach and further vision, and how she manages running a charity as a full-time in-house lawyer. Cropley also discusses why it's so important for corporate counsel to roll up their sleeves and be more involved in the communities around them, her sense of service, what she's learnt about herself as a lawyer and how it's made her more curious, agile, and adaptable, how in-house lawyers can make more impact, making the time rather than finding the time, and what excites her about her ongoing work. 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, X 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

Having spent years working at the intersection of where the law engages with the community, particularly vulnerable persons, Tania Wolff has seen the system at its best and at points where justice isn't accessible, leading to a loss of confidence in public institutions. Addressing that loss of faith in the system is essential, she says, both for the sake of justice and social cohesion. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Law Council of Australia (LCA) president Tania Wolff about her varied vocational journey as a practitioner and her work for legal member bodies, what motivates her to advocate for the legal profession, her concerns about the erosion of confidence in public institutions and the justice system, and the potential impacts of such a loss of confidence. Wolff also delves into LCA's priorities for her term as president, what the member body does, managing the health and wellbeing of the profession while pushing for societal change, professional opportunities created by new technologies, and the "extraordinary privilege" of being LCA president. 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, X 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

Straight out of law school, many young lawyers dream of the prestige and fast pace of BigLaw – but Sally Callander flips the script, revealing how practising in the bush can offer career-defining skills, deeper client connections, and a lifestyle you'll never get in the city. In a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Sally Callander, principal and owner of DLH Solicitors, about her journey from practising in Sydney's legal scene to regional NSW, explores her experience practising law in the bush for the past 14 years, delves into the rewarding lifestyle and full career she has been able to create, and points out the practical skills and expertise she has been able to gain that aren't typically available in city practice. Callander also highlights the growing trend of young lawyers reckoning the value of spending time practising in regional areas, discusses how such experiences can fast-track professional development, debunks the notion that moving to the bush is career-limiting, and shares practical advice for young lawyers considering this path and want to embrace this opportunity.

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with UniSuper, we explore women lawyers' financial security and the long-lasting impacts of superannuation disparities with male colleagues. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes UniSuper national manager of business development Veronica Barbetta to discuss UniSuper's work and its reach across the legal profession, the need to examine the financial and economic implications of pay gaps for women, how the super pay gap is exacerbated by the persistent lack of women leaders in law, and the factors contributing to financial disparity. Barbetta also delves into the impact of career breaks on women lawyers' financial security and forward planning, the need for greater attention to the super pay gap, how burnout is a contributing factor to financial disparities, what employers need to be doing, ensuring financial wellbeing is part of the holistic picture, and how UniSuper can assist. To learn more about UniSuper, 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, X 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

In an age of sociocultural change, and against the backdrop of employers' positive duties to prevent sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct, preparing for workplace claims made against the backdrop of cultural traditions like Valentine's Day may not be so far-fetched. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Swaab partner Michael Byrnes to reflect on a recent blog he posted about the workplace relations issues inherent with Valentine's Day, the potential for workplace claims to arise in the wake of such cultural traditions, and whether employers need clauses in their policy for sexual harassment to account for such calendar dates. Byrnes also delves into employers' positive duty to prevent sexual harassment, changing social and cultural expectations for workplace behaviour, whether the inclusion of new clauses risks infantilising employees, catering to a multi-generational workforce, and what will constitute best practice for employers, HR professionals, and employment lawyers. 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, X 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

Here, an award-winning sole practitioner shines a light on the business and practice lessons one learns as a business owner that are not necessarily taught or advocated to students and graduates. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back C Legal & Co founder and principal Claire Styles to discuss some of the things she's learnt over the years that she wasn't aware of as a younger practitioner, the impact of realising one is not prepared for certain professional or business scenarios, the business pressures that she's seen and experienced, and why law firm owners need, for example, to be able to trust their bookkeepers. Styles also delves into the ethical lessons one learns once they're out in the profession, the need to thrive rather than survive, how many of the lessons she's learnt can be picked up in advance versus learning by doing, her advice to lawyers about how they can be more comfortable with not always being able to control what's coming, and how they can move to craft their careers and vocational journeys in ways that make sense to them. 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, X 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

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Unisearch Expert Opinion Services, we explore how global and domestic regulation of artificial intelligence influences how lawyers practise and operate their businesses and what will constitute best practice moving forward. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Unisearch expert Professor Mimi Zou, Head of School, Private and Commercial Law, UNSW and Unisearch Expert Opinion Services Business Development Manager Christopher Aaron Yong about the state of affairs for regulation of AI, domestically and globally, what's on the horizon for regulatory updates, and lessons Australians can glean from overseas experiences. Zou and Yong also delve into what will constitute best practice for legal practitioners in 2026 and beyond, operational considerations, consequences for not adapting approaches, questions that legal businesses need to be asking, the kinds of expert services that will be required moving forward, and broader key takeaways for lawyers nationwide. To learn more about Unisearch Expert Opinion Services, 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, X 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

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers, the legal profession is one of the few institutions where five generations work side by side. Here, Ann-Maree David stresses that while each generation brings their own habits and approaches to practice, law firms must be intentional about reducing friction and ensuring those generations collaborate – rather than clash – at work. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Podcast, host Grace Robbie, speaks with Ann-Maree David, the executive director for the College of Law in Queensland, who delves into how five generations are currently working side by side in the legal profession, discusses the distinct characteristics and differences of each generation, and addresses the challenges of balancing and embracing diverse perspectives in the workplace. David also highlights the importance of law firms implementing strategies to create an environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork across all generations, outlines practical approaches firms can adopt to achieve this, emphasises the significant benefits that arise when different generations work with and not against each other, and stresses that cultivating such inclusive environments can profoundly strengthen the legal 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, X 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 this GC, building the right law department involves looking more to a lawyer's attributes rather than their skill set, and following a step-by-step process to ensure challenges are being met and the business's growth trajectory is accounted for. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Linktree senior vice president, office of the founders, people, and legal Rosanna Biggs to discuss the need for law department leaders to think about how they resource for their teams, whether there are things that in-house teams are doing wrong with regard to hiring, the inherent recruitment challenges, and her process for ensuring any hire for the legal team is fit for the business's purposes. Biggs also delves into the critical importance of attributes rather than one's skills, the team leader's role in approaching department growth with the C-suite, how to convey the way you run the legal function, how individual lawyers can put their best foot forward, why curiosity is so essential, how in-house roles are changing, and how businesses can better identify and recruit the best in-house lawyers possible. 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, X 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

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Legal Home Loans, we explore the firm's charity partnership with ReLove, the essential work being undertaken by that organisation, and how legal professionals can get involved. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Legal Home Loans director Andrew Johnson and ReLove co-founder Ben Stammer about the charity's work in providing used and excess furniture for families impacted by domestic violence, homelessness, or facing hardship, why its work is so important for the community, how Legal Home Loans came to support ReLove's work, and what its partnership looks like. Johnson and Stammer also discuss how Legal Home Loans' support strengthens the work of ReLove, tapping into lawyers' sense of service to the community, the broader environmental impact of the charity's work, how lawyers using Legal Home Loans have responded to having donations made on their behalf, how lawyers and law firms are getting involved in the charity's work, and how others can get involved. To learn more about Legal Home Loans, click here. To learn more about ReLove, 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, X 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

As someone who co-founded a law firm while seven months pregnant, award-winning managing partner Danielle Snell is acutely aware of the need to create a culture and workplace whereby legal staff – lawyers and partners alike – do not feel as though their responsibilities outside of work come second. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Elit Lawyers by McGirr and Snell managing partner Danielle Snell to discuss the importance of reflecting on the need to balance the myriad roles one holds in life, how well the legal profession has done in accommodating idiosyncratic needs, and why the opinions and viewpoints of junior staff are incredibly important. Snell also delves into how being told that becoming a mother would stunt her legal career spurred her to create a better culture for her own staff, the need to seize opportunities to create a better environment, championing the idea of staff bringing their full selves to work, how she and her business partner inculcate such ideas across their firm, challenges inherent with such an approach, and how best other firm leaders can look to make practical changes in their own workplaces. 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, X 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

While athletes across all disciplines have off-seasons, lawyers – like many professionals – do not get downtime, physically and mentally, to rejuvenate across the calendar year. Here, we discuss the need to meaningfully switch off (as best as possible) for the sake of optimal client service delivery and self-care. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Brisbane Family Law Centre director Clarissa Rayward to discuss the pursuit of happiness for lawyers, how lawyers sustain their careers, the extent to which she is able to switch off from work, the factors making it difficult for lawyers to disconnect, and what it means to properly detach one's self from work. Rayward also reflects on whether it's becoming more difficult for lawyers to switch off, her observations from conversations with colleagues in the family law space, structural issues preventing lawyers from switching off, the comparison of lawyers to professional athletes, practical ways that lawyers can disconnect, and why lawyers must appreciate the importance of disconnection, so that they may perform at optimal levels. 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, X 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

One sentence. One moment. One career-defining shift. Here, Jessica Thurtell reveals how speaking your bold goals out loud early in your career and aiming high as a law graduate can completely transform the trajectory of your legal journey. In a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Jessica Thurtell, a consultant at Clyde & CO, about the defining moment early in her legal career when, during her first graduate rotation review, she declared her ambition to become a partner, discusses the reactions from those around her – from family members to fellow graduates – about her bold declaration and explains why saying yes to as many opportunities as possible can be crucial for building a successful legal career. Thurtell also emphasises the importance of young lawyers setting ambitious goals early and sharing them with those around them, explores which career goals are worth pursuing and how to balance achievable short-term milestones with long-term ambitions, outlines habits and strategies for staying on track despite inevitable setbacks, and highlights the power of mentors in guiding and supporting goal achievement.

According to the founder of AI Paralegal, the legal profession needs to realise that, instead of AI meaning more work with fewer people, the advent of such technology means that legal teams can do more, with more people. In this episode of LawTech Talks, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the founder of adieu.ai and AI Paralegal, Andrew Wight, about how he got into legal tech, his journey with adieu.ai, how AI Paralegal came to be and what the future holds for the platform, and why lawyers need to discard the myth of AI taking jobs. Wight also discusses how lawyers can be thinking bigger about their AI vision, creating greater access to justice, results from AI Paralegal's beta stage, practical steps to reframe one's thinking on AI utilisation, impacts upon the charging for services, and the trial and error that is coming for legal of all stripes.

In the current climate, law departments should have established themselves as more strategic and business-facing and should no longer be pure legal gatekeepers. Continuing on that trajectory, and ensuring the team can balance all competing priorities, is a foremost challenge for GCs and their teams in 2026 and beyond. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Somerset Hoy, general counsel – deputy secretary, strategic services and advice at the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, about what she likes about legal work in the public service, how all law departments should already have transitioned to becoming more business-facing and less legal-focused, why the in-house legal team is no longer the "Department of No", and the questions teams must be asking of themselves in how to continue that transition in 2026. Hoy also discusses resolving the conflict between keeping more work in-house versus moving away from being a legal gatekeeper for a business, making the time to balance all duties, challenges standing in the way of legal teams moving away from gatekeeping, becoming all things to all teams within a business, the role of a GC in bringing their team along for the journey, and what the law department of 2030 could look like. 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, X 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

Law schools have a duty to create good citizens who uphold the rule of law, particularly at a time of significant sociocultural and political change (and unrest). Such duties cannot be ignored, one dean says, as universities balance all other aspects of students' legal education. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Catherine Renshaw, dean of the law school at Western Sydney University, about her legal career, how her background in private practice serves her now in academia, the need for law schools to prepare the next generation to be good civic servants, and the decline of democratic principles across the globe. Renshaw also delves into the nexus between a law graduate's ability to serve to the best of their abilities and having trust and faith in the system as a citizen, how motivated Australian deans are to help graduates do their civic duty, how best they can create the right culture, how students can be "practice ready", ensuring students are upskilled on AI, and her optimism for Western Sydney University. 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, X 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

More needs to be done, both by those at the Bar and the legal profession more broadly, to manage the idiosyncratic wellbeing issues faced by barristers – including, but not limited to, moving beyond performative, awareness-raising conversations about barristers' experiences. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Melbourne-based barrister Dr Michelle Sharpe about her two decades at the Bar and what she's learnt, her perceptions about barristers' wellness across the board, whether the Bar is lagging behind private practice, and moving beyond box-ticking exercises. Sharpe also reflects on her concerns about wellness conversations not being conducted in the most productive ways possible, pushback experienced when trying to advance specific wellness conversations, the flow-on consequences for barristers' wellness not being at optimal levels, how the whole profession can better cater to barristers' wellness needs, and why she is cautiously optimistic that the Bar can move forward constructively. 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, X 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

After a 25-year career in journalism at some of Australia's most well-known media organisations, including Channel 9 and Channel 7, Naomi Shivaraman has traded telling stories for interpreting statutes – sharing her inspiring and compelling journey of becoming a lawyer later in life. In a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Naomi Shivaraman, legal affairs strategist at BlackBay Lawyers, about her 25-year career as a journalist across some of Australia's most prominent media organisations, including Channel 9 and Channel 7, reflects on the moments she holds closest to her heart and explains what ultimately inspired her to trade telling stories for interpreting statutes. Shivaraman also delves into the challenges of returning to study as a mature-age law student while working in a fast-paced newsroom, reflects on the unique advantages and transferable skills her media background brings to the legal profession, explains how experiencing the law from the inside reshaped her perspective as a reporter, and offers thoughtful advice to professionals considering a major career change later in life but feeling hesitant to take the leap.