Just Chat

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.

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 successor.

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

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

Shane Fitzsimmons sits down with Kate Allman to talk about taking a leadership position during the bushfires and being appointed head of Resilience NSW.

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.

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.

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.

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, and what still needs to be done in the court system to support people with disabilities.

This episode is supported by NobleOak. Find out more at www.nobleoak.com.au/lawsociety

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

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.

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.

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.