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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

This week we welcome entertainment lawyer Bryce Menzies. You name an Australian film and Bryce most likely worked on it; Muriel’s Wedding, Romper Stomper, Proof, Ned Kelly, The Great Gatsby, The Babadook and The Dry - to name a few. From coordinating 100,000 people at an anti-uranium rally in the 70’s, to bringing together multiple parties on major movie contracts, Bryce says the fundamentals are the same, and it all comes back to organising. Bryce has had a unique and wonderful Life in the...

This week on Lives in the Law, we speak with Peter Bartlett, one of Australia’s leading media and communications lawyers. This year, Peter celebrates 50 years of partnership at Minter Ellison, one of Australia’s largest law firms. Peter’s practice focuses mainly on defamation law, and he has been involved in many high-profile and fascinating cases, including the highly publicised and extraordinary case against former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. It is a fascinating conversation, and...

This week we welcome Lizzie O’Shea, principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, advocate and author. Lizzie is an internationally renowned expert on digital privacy rights and the intersection between technology, privacy and the law. She has worked & studied internationally, including getting a Master’s from Columbia University and now specialises in class actions, recently leading the class action against tech giant Uber. It was a dynamic and fascinating conversation and a pleasure to welcome...

This episode we welcome Robert Miller to Lives in the Law. Robert was born in the Wimmera region, on a farm outside of Horsham in country Victoria. Through intelligence, curiosity and hard work Robert made his way to the United Nations in New York, became a senior law lecturer at Monash University, was one of the founders of The Springvale Legal Service, the Member for Prahran in the Victorian Parliament and spent over 30 years at the Bar. He also managed to play 69 games for the Melbourne...

Today we welcome The Hon. Robert Redlich AM KC. Robert is known to many as the former head of IBAC, which we discuss in detail along with the many other fascinating chapters in his career, including the work that led to the formation of The National Crime Authority, his appointment to the Supreme Court of Victoria and his current role as a mediator. It was an honor and a delight to hear about Robert’s life in the law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Today we welcome criminal lawyer Tania Wolff. Throughout her career Tania has enjoyed a wide variety of roles, both in and outside the law and her current portfolio continues that model; past president and ongoing director of the Law Institute of Victoria, director of First Step Legal, sessional member of the Mental Health Tribunal, treasurer and executive member of the Law Council of Australia and member of VCAT. It is a fascinating conversation and a pleasure to welcome Tania to the...

This week we welcome Mark Leibler AC. Mark is the senior partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler and one of the leading tax lawyers in the county. As well as his distinguished career in the law, Mark has made significant contributions to the cause of Reconciliation in Australia and as a leader in the Jewish Community. It is a wide ranging conversation and it was a pleasure to welcome Mark to the show to hear about his Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

This episode we welcome former police officer and current CEO of Police Veterans Victoria, Dave McGowan. Over his decades on the force, from a young constable to Detective Sergeant, Dave experienced the extremes of human behaviour. As a member of the armed robbery squad he worked on a number of major cases as they progressed through the courts, working with solicitors, barristers and importantly shepherding witnesses through the process. And now as CEO of Police Veterans Victoria, Dave works...

This episode we are delighted to welcome The Hon Linda Dessau AC CVO. Linda has had enormous variety in her career; she began her law degree at the ripe old age of 16, had a successful practice at the bar, became a Magistrate working in the Children’s Court and Coroners Court; went on to serve as a Judge in the Family Court of Australia for 18 years; and of course became the first female Governor of Victoria. Along the way she also worked as Crown Council in Hong Kong and received a Churchill...

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 bring you the second part of our conversation with The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG. In this episode we’ll hear about Michael’s appointment to the NSW Supreme Court as President of the Court of Appeal, his ascension to The High Court of Australia and his extensive work with the United Nations on issues such as human rights violations in Cambodia and North Korea and the AIDS epidemic. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Our guest for the next two episodes is The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG. Today, in Part 1 of our conversation we discuss Michael’s early years, schooling and university days, his work with the Council for Civil Liberties, extensive industrial relations work and becoming the inaugural Chair of the Australian Law Reform Commission. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Our guest today is HH Magistrate Noreen Toohey, lead magistrate of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre, an innovative court based on a community justice model. Noreen brings a wealth of experience to the role from her time at the OPP and as a magistrate in the suburbs of Melbourne and rural Victoria. It was a pleasure to have her on the show and wonderful to hear about her life in the law.  www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Today we welcome Forensic & Child Psychiatrist Dr Adam Deacon. Throughout his career Adam has worked in many areas of the justice system including with adult inmates in prison, youth in the juvenile justice system, writing psychiatric court reports for both defence and prosecution and currently at the Youth Forensic Specialist Service with Alfred Health. All this along with a thriving private practice!  Adam brings a fascinating lens to Lives in the Law and it’s a pleasure to have him on...

Our guest this episode is The Hon Anthony North KC. Tony has been involved in some of the largest cases in Australian history as both a barrister and a judge, including the pilots strike in the late 1980’s, the Patricks waterfront dispute, the Tampa Affair and multiple native title cases. He is currently the chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission, working on many fascinating projects, including the incredibly important work of Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual...