This week we revisit our conversation with the former Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria, The Hon. Peter Kidd. During his first few years in a commercial firm, Peter was unsure if law was for him, but a decision to move to crime ignited his passion for the profession. After his time at the Commonwealth DPP, he went to the bar and was quickly working on very large and often high profile cases, honing his skills and advocacy style, often under immense pressure. Peter also managed to combine his love of travel with his love of the law, working as a prosecutor at the War Crimes Tribunal in Bosnia; another challenging, enriching and fascinating chapter of his career. Our episode covers all of this and of course his role as The Chief, and is an enlightening and fascinating conversation.
This week, we revisit our 2021 conversation with Genevieve Collins, former Chief Executive Partner at law firm Lander & Rogers. Over the course of her 40-year career at Landers, Genevieve was a Practice Group Leader for 13 years, the first female Equity Partner and Chair of the Board. Genevieve is passionate about innovation in the law, and to that end, she led initiatives in law tech and wellness within the firm - both of which became incredibly important when COVID hit!
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This episode we welcome HH Mag. Trieu Huynh from the Bendigo Magistrates Court. At the age of one, Trieu and his family came to Australia as refugees from Vietnam. From this brave yet humble beginning, Trieu gained a scholarship to a private secondary school and ultimately completed a double degree in law/science with honours in genetics. Trieu has remained passionate about the law through every stage of his career. From the OPP and VLA, to sitting as a Magistrate, particularly in the Assessment and Referral Court, a therapeutic court that supports people who are mentally ill, have an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, autism spectrum disorder or a neurological impairment. It is an amazing journey from escaping Vietnam in the middle of the night, to a fulfilling Life in the Law in Australia, and we are thrilled to bring it to you.
This week, we welcome Fleur Katsmartin, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Throughout her law degree, articles and early legal roles, Fleur never felt like she was in the right place. In her words, it always seemed like she was “too much”. But Fleur found her legal sweet spot working in-house, specifically in purpose-driven organisations. This clarity led her to some very large and very dynamic roles. Fleur had just become General Counsel at Healthdirect Australia, the national virtual public health information service, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. And she now leads a team of lawyers at one of Australia’s largest public hospitals, where she describes herself as a Jane of all trades. It was a delight to welcome Fleur to the show and hear about her Life in the Law.
This week we welcome recently retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria - The Hon. Elizabeth Hollingworth. Like so many of our guests, Liz is a high achiever from way back. At school and University she excelled academically, at sport and in leadership, which culminated in her receiving a Rhodes Scholarship to study a Bachelor of Civil Law, and row in the blue boat for Oxford. Interestingly, Liz did not feel particularly challenged or inspired by her commercial practice at the bar. It was when she came to the Supreme Court of Victoria that Liz found her true legal passion in the criminal division, presiding over many dynamic and high-profile cases. It was a privilege and a pleasure to hear Liz’s frank and fascinating insights and experiences from her Life in the Law.
This week, we welcome County Court Judge Sara Hinchey. Sara has had a rich and dynamic career in the law. From her early days at the bar, working in huge cases and Junioring to iconic barristers, to her time as Victorian Coroner and Country Court Judge.
A passion for travel and cooking almost drew Sarah away from a life in the law. Although the law won out in the end, she has worked hard to maintain a work-life balance that includes running cooking classes and bringing produce from her garden into the County Court! It’s a great conversation and a pleasure to welcome Sara to the show.
This week, we welcome Dr Carly Schrever, psychologist, lawyer and empirical researcher. Although Carly got her law degree, had wonderful articles at Allens and was associate to Justice David Habersberger, Carly always knew pure law would not be her path. Since 2015 her work has focussed specifically on judicial and lawyer wellbeing, conducting Australia’s first empirical and psychologically grounded research into the sources and nature of work-related stress among the Australian judiciary, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks and presenting around the globe. She is now a director at Human Ethos - a psychological consultancy directed to the wellbeing of judges and lawyers. It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Carly to the show and hear about her fascinating work.
This episode we welcome lawyer Michael Dolan. Michael’s life in the law has taken him from city firms to country practices, two separate stints at the Law Institute Victoria and a decade in the UK working in the mobile phone industry at a time when the link between phone towers and cancer was a major public concern. Today, Michael is special counsel - ethics at the LIV, a role he thinks may be his most satisfying as it brings together his decades of experience in law, the power and mobile phone industries and more broadly in communications.
This episode we welcome former Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass OBE. After completing her law degree at Monash, Deborah headed straight overseas to begin decades working in many interesting and varied roles - none of which were in the law!
She worked in the financial services sector in Europe, was Senior Director of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and became Deputy Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission in the UK. Deborah returned to Australia and became the Victorian Ombudsman in 2014, and over her 10 years in the role, led many significant investigations & reform efforts, including, of course, the unprecedented issues the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to.
From everyone at Lives in the Law, and all the staff at Greens List Barristers, we wish you a happy and safe Festive Season.
Today we welcome Vincent Shin to Lives in the Law. Vincent is Program Manager of the Youth Law Program at West Justice, and notably, he was the first School Lawyer in the country. Vincent came to Australia with his family when he was one. He grew up with a violent father, struggled through school due to his trauma and failed year 12. How Vincent overcame these enormous obstacles to qualify as a lawyer is an amazing tale. We are thrilled to welcome him to the show, to hear about this incredible journey and the impactful work he does now.
This week, we welcome former Australian Government Solicitor Michael Kingston to the show. Michael has had a diverse and fascinating career. Beginning with articles at Mallesons, he went on to become a partner and spent over two decades there, primarily in commercial law. He also worked in London, Papua New Guinea, was the chief legal officer at ASIC and, most recently, the Australian Government Solicitor. It is a fantastic conversation and a pleasure to welcome Michael to the show.
This week we welcome The Hon Marcia Neave AO. Marcia began her legal career as an academic and is known to generations of law students as both an exceptional teacher and the co-author of the seminal textbook, “Sackville and Neave, Australian Property Law”, now in its 12th edition. She was also the first academic to become a Supreme Court Justice in Victoria, sitting on the bench from 2006 to 2015. But Marcia is perhaps best known for her work in law reform; In the 1980s, she led the inquiry that resulted in the decriminalisation of prostitution in Victoria, later, she was the Foundation Chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission, which amongst other things, recommended substantial changes to criminal laws and procedures dealing with sexual assault. She was a commissioner in the Royal Commission into Family Violence and currently sits on the Australian Law Reform Commission. It was an honor and a pleasure to welcome Marcia to the show.
This week we revisit our wonderful conversation with barrister Michelle Britbart KC. Michelle practices primarily in common law, insurance law, public liability and personal injuries litigation, running trials in both the Supreme and County Courts. For many years Michelle grew her practice whilst also being a single mother to two young children. And on top of that, she managed to gain a Graduate Diploma of Genetic Counselling and a Masters in Health and Medical Law.
This week we revisit our wonderful conversation with Her Honour Magistrate Abigail Burchill, former barrister and one of only two Indigenous magistrates in Victoria. Abigail is a proud Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung woman from a long line of academics and activists. At high school in Mooroopna, Abigail could not see a clear path to the law but her mother knew better and simply would not let her potential go to waste. From the president of Tawirri to the DPP, from the bar to the bench, Abigail's life in the law is fascinating and rich, and it was an honour to hear her story.
www.greenslist.com.au/podcast
With the AFL grand final a week away, today we revisit our 2021 conversation with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon. When he began at the AFL in 2000, Andrew was the first ever in-house legal counsel. The 20+ years since his legal training prepared him well for the enormous growth of the AFL and all that has entailed: unprecedented TV and internet deals, drug scandals, the introduction of the AFLW, navigating COVID and more.
www.greenslist.com.au/podcast
This week we revisit our 2022 conversation with Rob Hulls AM, former Deputy Premier and attorney-general of Victorian, and current director of the Centre for Innovative Justice at RMIT. As attorney-general, Rob introduced many significant and lasting changes to our Justice System, including the introduction of the Koori Court, Drug Court and Australia’s first Neighbourhood Justice Centre. Through all the ups and downs of a career in the law and politics, Rob has been guided by a simple philosophy; that the justice system can be a positive intervention in peoples’ lives.
Today we revisit our 2022 conversation with Emma Dunlevie, lawyer and principal at Russell Kennedy. Emma’s career is split between her work as a commercial lawyer and managing the pro-bono practice within the firm.
From a case in the Tasmania Supreme Court during her articles, to a groundbreaking case that began with a disheveled man showing up unannounced at Russel Kennedy’s offices and the relatively new area of climate law, this is a wide ranging and fascinating conversation about Emma’s life in the law.
This week, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Julian McMahon AC SC. Julian is a barrister at the Victorian Bar who came to international prominence representing Australians on death row. In the early 2000s, Julian defended Van Nguyen in Singapore and later Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, part of the infamous Bali 9, against drug charges that ultimately led to their deaths. He is highly regarded for having navigated long and complex trials in areas such as homicide, terrorism, corruption and fraud but despite all these accomplishments he insists luck has had a big part to play in his Life in the Law.
www.greenslist.com.au/podcast
This week we welcome barrister Debra Coombs to the show. Debra’s Life in the Law has seen her work in the private sector, the public sector and as a barrister - in two separate stints. She has worked for the Department of Labor, for the State Electricity Commission of Victoria and for Corrections Victoria and is now back at the Bar working in the very interesting and relevant area of elder law. It was a pleasure to welcome Debra to the show.
