Tasman Ash Fleming, barrister, nationally accredited mediator (AMDRAS), and adjunct lecturer at the College of Law, has decades of experience in commercial and wills and estates litigation, formal training in negotiation at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, and a practice that spans both advocacy and mediation. He is well placed to explain how Victoria built one of Australia's most developed mediation cultures, why it works, and what it genuinely demands of the practitioners operating within it.
Should I start my own firm? It’s a thrilling yet terrifying prospect for anyone, but as barriers to entry ease, it’s also an increasingly popular alternative to climbing the career ladder within someone else’s organisation. So, what does starting a firm actually look like? We caught up with James D’Apice, who has committed to documenting the messy, behind-the-scenes reality of building his own firm, Gravamen.
True confidence isn't about having all the answers — it's about trusting yourself to find them. Lara Wentworth, a performance coach who works with legal professionals, understands this deeply. She shares practical mindset shifts that build confidence, daily practices that strengthen self-belief, and the story of a sole practitioner who transformed her entire practice by learning to trust her own capability.
How do we break the productivity addiction cycle? How do we find the focus to do meaningful work well and not cram our days full with too many things to do? To explore this, we spoke to Donna McGeorge, a productivity expert and author of Red Brick Thinking - a bold new call to simplify work by removing what no longer adds value.
What is it really like to be a Wills and Estates lawyer? We spoke to Phillip Briffa, an award-winning Wills and estates lawyer, about what his daily workload looks like. Along with some of the more memorable requests that he receives daily.
Imposter Syndrome haunts the competent, yet rarely troubles those who could probably do with a healthy dose of self-doubt. It’s a state of being all too familiar for many lawyers, and one of the most common that performance coach and former CEO of Squire Patton Boggs, John Poulsen, sees in his work. In this interview, we explore the roots of imposter syndrome and how legal professionals and legal organisations can overcome imposter syndrome with awareness, values alignment, and purpose.
How did principal of Divorce Legal and College of Law lecturer, Selina Nikoloudakis, open her practice doors with a full client roster? She credits consistent networking and the power of authentic connection. We spoke to Selina to learn more about her journey, and her advice for lawyers navigating their mid-career years.
The work of a lawyer can be demanding, and not simply in an intellectual sense. Emotional stakes can run high, and client trauma may intertwine with a practitioner’s own psychological well-being. The Honourable Robert Benjamin AM SC offers invaluable insights on the essential skill of professional debriefing.