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No bias, no politics: welcome to JustChat, where we speak to those making and shaping the law in NSW and bring you the human stories behind the justice system. From judges and the legal leaders of tomorrow, to law makers and reformed law breakers, in conversation with LSJ.
47 Episodes
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Send us a text Justine Zhou is partner of Speirs Ryan, with expertise across corporate, cyber and property law, and recognition in several awards. She talks with LSJ about her career experiences, beginning with an internship in Singapore, and how to turn crisis into opportunity.
Send us a text Executive Counsel for Nine Media talks about her career from legal receptionist to being involved with some of the most biggest defamation cases in the recent years, and her experience working directly with court journalists.
Send us a text Before presenting his keynote at last year's Law Society Conference, U.S. Environmental lawyer Robert Bilott stopped by the Just Chat studio to talk about how he got involved in class action against DuPont chemicals, the effect it's having around the world on the fight against forever chemicals, and how it feels to have two Hollywood stars having dinner at his home in preparation for a film about the case.
Send us a text Law Society outgoing President, Brett McGrath, reflects on his time in the role, and the changes facing the profession - from reaching out to our rural communities, to how AI can be used as a helpful professional tool. Finally he leaves a message to next year's President, Jennifer Ball. This episode is supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text In this episode, we sit down for a captivating conversation with Professor Mimi Zou, Head of the School of Private & Commercial Law at UNSW Law & Justice. From her unique early experiences to her rise as a leading expert in the legal implications of AI, Professor Zou shares her remarkable journey. Hear the challenges, motivations, and compelling stories that have shaped her influential career, and her tips for those wishing to pursue a career in academia.
Send us a text In this special U.S. Election episode, Special Correspondent and guest host Joseph Friedman talks with author and journalist Nick Bryant about Australia's fascination with the U.S. election, the strategies both candidates should follow, and what he is looking for on November 5. This episode is supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Appointed as a university lecturer-in-law at 23 and a barrister at 25, Jason Donnelly has worked tirelessly to become one of Australia’s leading immigration and public law academics and barristers. From the most vulnerable members of society to the music and sporting world’s biggest names, he has represented them. He reflects on his remarkable journey, overcoming his challenges, and shares valuable advice for those wanting to follow in his footsteps. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text The Industrial Relations Court of NSW is back in operation, marking a significant shift in the state's approach to resolving workplace disputes and upholding work health and safety standards. As this new chapter begins, the President of the Industrial Relations Commission, Justice Ingmar Taylor, joins us to discuss his new role and the positive impact the court aims to have on all stakeholders. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Six months into her five-year term as Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Rosemary joins us in the studio to share her insights into the role, the challenges she's encountered, and the progress being made to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in Australia. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Stepping into the CEO role of the Tenants Union of NSW during COVID-19 presented many challenges for Leo. In this episode, he shares with us his journey from a social worker passionately fighting for renters’ rights to leading an organisation dedicated to housing justice for all. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text In this episode, Chief Justice of NSW Andrew Bell shares his thoughts on the bicentenary of the Supreme Court of NSW. He reflects on the court's rich history including the most challenging moments (and colourful characters) of the past 200 years, the significance of being a part of this moment in history, what's next for the court, and the potential issues lawyers and court users could face with the rise of artificial intelligence. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Ex-socceroo Craig Foster is a busy person. Nowadays a sports commentator, he plays soccer as a hobby, and complements it with activism, helping Hakeem al-Araibi return to Australia, and his work in the Australian Republican movement. He dials in with Just Chat to talk about refugee rights in Australia and playing against one of the best soccer teams of all time. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text As the Senior Court Reporter for the ABC, Jamelle Wells has a privileged point of view on the mechanisms of justice in New South Wales. She has seen both the most thrilling, and most mundane court sessions, but always kept her curiosity. In this episode Jamelle reminisces with ex court reporter, Amy Dale, and talks about what she learned about Australia's justice system researching her new book, The Outback Court Reporter. This episode is supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text The start of the pandemic brought rapidly changing and confusing regulations. Jahan saw a gap that needed to be filled and decided to make daily videos explaining the updates to the everyday person. This gave birth to the "TikTok lawyer”, who garnered a following of over 350K and was featured in a Netflix documentary. He discusses the importance of social media for solicitors and the value of an audience who understands their rights. This episode is supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Before she passes the baton of the Law Society Presidency, Cassandra Banks sits with Amy Dale to talk about her experience as the President, her proudest achievements, how to overcome the fear of speaking in public, and her message to the next president, Brett McGrath. Sponsored by NobleOak.
Send us a text Soon to retire Justice Steven Rares shares what it's been like to spend 17 years on the Federal Court of Australia. He also speaks about his interest in defamation law and the high profile cases he has worked on, plus what's driven him personally in law. Sponsored by NobleOak.
Send us a text With two weeks to go before the referendum on the Voice to Parliament, Amy Dale talks with activist, community leader, and signatory of the Uluru Statement From The Heart, Thomas Mayo about the referendum, the elders who have inspired him and how he fights back against trolling and misinformation. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text In this episode, NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling chats about the best advice she has received as a legal practitioner, what justice means to her and her 'must watch' tv and movie recommendations. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text The 2022 winner of the Law Society's President's Medal, Nicholas Stewart, returns to Just Chat to discuss the cases and causes close to his heart, the aftermath of his win and recent trips to the cinema. Episode supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Andrew Tiedt has regularly helped LSJ in articles about Criminal Law. Now he sits down with Francisco Silva to talk about his journey into the profession, his thoughts about the jury system, and the moral conundrums of a criminal lawyer. Episode supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text Dom Knight was studying law when he founded The Chaser with a group of friends. In this episode of Just Chat, he talks with Floyd Alexander-Hunt about his career with the satirical group, from how it runs as a business to how he almost got arrested. Supported by NobleOak
Send us a text James Allsop was Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia for 10 years. One month after leaving the role, he talks about how technology is changing the court system, his work in native title cases, and his proudest moments. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text For this week, Just Chat becomes Just Yarn. Trent Wallace now lives in Brisbane, but his journey in law went from his community in the Central Coast, to the legal centres in Sydney. He sits down with Francisco Silva for a yarn on his experience as a queer First Nations man, and the importance of pro-bono work. Supported by NobleOak
Send us a text For the first episode of 2023, Keely McDonough sits down with NSW Supreme Court Justice Dina Yehia for a discussion about the moments that have shaped her career and how to make the profession more inclusive. Supported by NobleOak.
Send us a text For our final episode of 2022, Keely McDonough speaks to the Law Society's outgoing president, Joanne van der Plaat. Joanne reflects on navigating the profession out of COVID, the toll of natural disasters and a year of advocacy on many fronts. This episode is supported by NobleOak
Send us a text Playwriter Suzie Miller worked as a lawyer in King's Cross when she got the calling to write a play about the stories she was living. Since then, her career has skyrocketed commercially and critically. As her play Prima Facie is about to start a Broadway run, Suzie releases her one-woman show about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, RBG: Of Many, One, currently playing at the Sydney Theatre Company. This episode is supported by NobleOak
Send us a text Bill Browder is a financier turned political activist, dubbed a chief enemy of Vladimir Putin. Dialling in from London, he tells Amy Dale about how the murder of his lawyer inspired a global campaign for Magnitsky laws.
Send us a text The Murugappan family became the face of Australia's tough asylum-seeker policies. Their lawyer Carina Ford dials in to talk about the family's return to Biloela, the unspoken trauma of immigrants, and the policies needed to support refugees.
Send us a text Access to justice is at the heart of everything Rick Welsh does. The proud Murrawarri man is the coordinator of The Shed, an Aboriginal suicide prevention service based in Western Sydney, and speaks candidly to Keely McDonough about improving the Indigenous community’s relationship with the legal system.
Send us a text Award-winning business owner and CEO Courtney Bowie is doing her part to create a world where law firms focus more on tackling gender discrimination, innovation and mental health than billable hours. Supported by Unisearch.
Send us a text Diana Reid was starting her legal career when the pandemic drove her to tick off a new bucket list item: write a book. Diana tells Amy Dale about the resulting bestseller and the letters exchanged with a legendary Australian author. Supported by Unisearch.
Send us a text From murderers and rapists to hitmen and gangsters, Criminal Psychologist Tim Watson-Munro has come face to face with some of the most violent individuals around Australia and the world. Tim sits down with Keely McDonough to discuss his colourful career, his unique perspective of the justice system and how he worked his way up from rock bottom.Supported by Unisearch.
Send us a text Rachael Wallbank has been at the forefront of the cases that have shaped the law for transgender rights in Australia. As she approaches retirement, 30 years sober and 27 years as an affirmed female, Rachael reveals her path to happiness and why the profession must embrace difference.Supported by Unisearch.
Send us a text Thomas Russell is one of the state’s leading business lawyers – but he drives an Uber in his spare time and thinks you should too. Thomas sits down with LSJ to discuss the legal jargon he loves to hate, why he debates strangers on Facebook, how his first day in a courtroom shaped his career today, and why he is proud to be part of the Law Society’s new campaign, Lawfully Explained. Supported by Unisearch.
Send us a text We return for our final interview of the year and a chance to hear from Juliana Warner, Law Society's outgoing president. Juliana started her presidency with very defined plans for the profession, but the longest state lockdown ever recorded forced her to adapt her ideas to the ever-changing reality we were all experiencing. Amy Dale sits down with Juliana and discusses the highs and lows of her presidency, what was left to do, what is most proud of, and a simple message to her...
Send us a text Amani Haydar is a lawyer, artist, advocate and mother who has just released her first book, The Mother Wound: detailing the aftermath of the murder of her mother by her husband, Amani’s father in 2015. Amani tells Amy Dale about returning to her darkest days to pen the memoir and where she stands in the debate about criminalising coercive control.
Send us a text Legal Aid CEO and proud Wiradjuri man Brendan Thomas sits down with Amy Dale to talk about his decades of work improving the criminal justice system, what this year's NAIDOC theme means to him and why Aboriginal history should be visible on the streets of Sydney
Send us a text Lawyer, author and advocate Bri Lee sits down with Amy Dale to discuss her new book Who Gets To Be Smart, her response to the NSW Government’s proposed consent law changes and why she leaves the room when The Simpsons is on. Who Gets To Be Smart can be purchased here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/who-gets-to-be-smart-bri-lee/book/9781760879808.html
Send us a text Shane Fitzsimmons sits down with Kate Allman to talk about taking a leadership position during the bushfires and being appointed head of Resilience NSW.
Send us a text This month Just Chat dives into the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care and Quality, nursing home deaths from COVID-19, elder abuse and the high cost of growing old in Australia. Our special guest is Andrew Simpson, national head of wills and estates at Maurice Blackburn.
Send us a text In this special Mardi Gras episode of Just Chat, Claire Chaffey talks with Nicole Evans and Jake Fing about their experiences in the legal profession as LGBTQI lawyers, how those in the profession can be more effective allies, and how lawyers can better represent LGBTQI clients.
Send us a text Amy Dale sits down with former NSW DPP Nicholas Cowdery. In a wide-ranging conversation, the ex-top prosecutor reveals his views on decriminalising drugs, euthanasia, his most memorable case and why you won’t see him bingeing the latest Netflix true crime series.
Send us a text THIS EPISODE INCLUDES EXPLICIT LANGUAGE On 7 October 2004, James Horsburgh’s world turned upside down. A promising law student and rugby player at the time, he suffered an accident that left him a quadriplegic. Now James, or Teddy to his close friends, is a successful lawyer, an Accredited Specialist in family law, a husband, and a father to three beautiful girls. We sat down with him to talk about the fateful day that changed his life forever, the hurdles he had to overcome, a...
Send us a text Teela Reid is a proud Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman and lawyer. In a revealing conversation, she talks to LSJ about family, her determination to improve the criminal justice system for Aboriginal people and why she took a former Prime Minister to task on live television. This episode is supported by Legal Home Loans - visit www.legalhomeloans.com.au
Send us a text Before she became a Judge of the District Court of NSW in 2019, Kara Shead SC spent more than 20 years as both a crown prosecutor and public defender. She made plenty of mistakes on the way to becoming a master advocate, and learned some hard lessons about how to cope with the enormous pressure that can come with working as a lawyer.
Send us a text The treatment of people of colour in the justice system has seen a global reckoning in 2020, as protests sweep the world. Zaahir Edries and Sarah Khan, leaders in the Muslim legal community in NSW, share their experiences graduating in the aftermath of September 11 and how they overcame prejudice.
Send us a text Just over 30 years ago, Michael Coutts-Trotter was a convicted drug dealer living in Long Bay prison. Today, as Secretary of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, he is responsible for managing the state’s prisons and trying to help so many others find a second chance.
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