The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network explores the myriad issues, challenges, trends and opportunities facing legal professionals in Australia. Produced by Austral...
The rise of generative AI and other new technologies not only changes the nature of legal practice but also client expectations and demands. Here, we flesh out the need for lawyers to evaluate their pricing structures as part of their service offerings so they may remain competitive. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Hive Legal executive director and experience designer Melissa Lyon and principal Adrienne Trumbull about their firm’s journey, being ahead of the curve on flexible working, why they price their services in non-traditional ways, whether billable units give clients more control, and why it is so important to reconsider how legal services are priced. Lyon and Trumbull also flesh out the disconnect between clients’ understandings of legal practice versus how those services are being priced, navigating how courts are interpreting the use of AI and new technology, how critical a priority evaluation of pricing models will be in the new year, the questions that firm leaders must be asking of themselves, and why they should see this conversation as an opportunity to step back on reflect on the importance of legal practice and servicing the community. 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 [email protected] for more insights!
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26:29
Why everyone wants to be an energy lawyer right now
Energy and resources is, and will continue to be, an incredibly busy practice area. Here, a BigLaw partner reflects on what it’s like to work in this space, what the future might hold, and how those coming through can succeed. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clayton Utz partner Susan Taylor about her journey as a lawyer and why she finds energy and resources to be such an exciting space to work in, why it intersects with so many other practice areas right now, and the current day-to-day experience of those working in this space. Taylor also delves into how busy energy and resources work is, how such work will ramp up during the course of 2025 (regardless of the federal election outcome), what constitutes best practice when advising clients, the trends she’s anticipating in the coming months, why taking a holistic approach to such work is essential, what it means to be a good lawyer in this space, and her advice to those wanting to transition to energy and resources practices.
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23:21
Protégé: How this neurodiverse lawyer paved a pathway to success
While things are improving, traditionally, professions like law have not catered well to a diversity of idiosyncratic personal needs. Here, one senior in-house counsel reflects on her experiences with neurodivergence and how she identified ways that she could flourish vocationally. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Procreate head of legal Sarah Standen about her work in intellectual property at a software company, why it is so important to talk about neurodivergence in law, her own experiences and diagnoses, and the stigma that is often attached to neurodivergence across the community. Standen also reflects on how her diagnoses led her to identify the best pathway forward for her career-wise and how she could play to her strengths and interests, the thought process and practical steps she undertook, the questions one needs to ask of one’s self, and what excites her about her own journey moving forward.
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22:01
Pro bono is ‘no longer a tick box’ for big firms
For this BigLaw special counsel, it has been hugely encouraging to see the elevated investments and priority being placed on pro bono by Australia’s largest law firms, which is better positioning those businesses to create positive change nationwide. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Gadens special counsel in sustainability and social impact Shabnum Cassim about her background and interest in social justice and human rights, the emotionally draining nature of such legal work, her perception of the growing importance being placed on pro bono practices by large law firms, and why they are making such investments. Cassim also touches on the continued trajectory of pro bono arms of law firms, balancing a firm’s business and social impact interests, having clients who are more socially focused, taking a more holistic approach as a lawyer in any area of law, the duties of team leaders in pro bono moving forward, and what excites her about pro bono offerings in Australia into the future. 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 [email protected] for more insights!
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17:59
Protégé: Entering law as a first-generation student
For anyone, starting law school is enormously challenging, both personally and professionally. For first-generation Australians, there are additional challenges to contend with. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, King & Wood Mallesons applied legal coordinator (disputes and litigation) and JD law student Fauzia Hussein speaks with host Jerome Doraisamy about feeling vulnerable and out of place relative to those with privileged backgrounds, the need for more nuanced support for law students with migrant backgrounds, and overcoming cultural differences. Hussein also touches on giving first-generation students a chance at employment, how she has benefited from such support, and the importance of building a legal profession that embraces and includes individuals from all walks of life.
The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network explores the myriad issues, challenges, trends and opportunities facing legal professionals in Australia. Produced by Australia’s largest and most-trusted legal publication, Lawyers Weekly, the four shows on the channel – The Lawyers Weekly Show, The Corporate Counsel Show, The Boutique Lawyer Show and Protégé – all bring legal marketplace news to the audience via engaging and insightful conversations. Our editorial team talking to legal professionals and industry experts about their fascinating careers, ground-breaking case work, broader sociocultural quagmires, and much more. Visit www.lawyersweekly.com.au/podcasts for the full list of episodes.