Cyber threats a unique form of professional risk for lawyers

With law firms facing unprecedented risks because of cyber fraud and the online theft of confidential information, lawyers must take action to safeguard information security and live up to their duty of confidentiality, writes Simone Herbert-Lowe.  Cybercrime is challenging organisations everywhere, with daily news stories about businesses, government organisations and even global IT companies that […]

Q&A: Jessica Kinny: “We all seem to ‘innovate’ at a glacial pace and as a pack”

In our Q&A, Jessica Kinny, solicitor director and founder of Kinny Legal, explains why she has relished charting her own course as an aged care, retirement and health law specialist, how ‘fear setting’ has helped her life and business, and why she thinks lawyers should take more risks. Some industry analysts believe sole practitioner firms […]

A survival guide: Juggling a newborn and the launch of a legal tech project

In this case study, Catherine Brooks explains how she managed to keep the rollout of a new legal platform on track despite disruptions caused by being in the last stages of pregnancy in the early development phase, and then having a newborn to manage around launch time. The ideas stage  I remember that first meeting, […]

Are law firms fighting a war for talent, or a war for trust?

As law firms seek to recruit the best millennial talent to thrive in the future, they should ensure that they build trusted relationships with their employees, clients and the community, writes Trish Carroll. According to the CommBank 2018 Legal Market Pulse Report, released in December last year, the war for talent continues. Going by the […]

Latest news – Talent retention the focus for firms; ‘Holistic approach’ needed for healthy lawyers; Salary hikes on the way for most

Firms hellbent on keeping top employees According to the 2019 ALPMA Australian Legal Industry Salary & HR Issues Survey, more than half of all Australian law firms expect to increase staff numbers this year, compared with 42 per cent in 2018, as firms seek to retain their best talent. Salaries have increased for most roles […]

Q&A: David Sharrock – “I see myself as a hope bearer and my main challenge is to keep hope alive by caring deeply for those around me.”

In our Q&A, David Sharrock, managing principal of Melbourne firm Sharrock Pitman Legal and author of the new book, Fighting for Enterprise Success: Through the Eye of the Tiger, outlines why he put pen to paper and reveals some of the key elements of law firm success. Your book draws from more than 40 years […]

Latest news – General counsel ‘on the defensive’; Skills shift for law librarians; Recruitment tips for greater diversity

Royal commission a wakeup call for GCs New research shows that, in the aftermath of the banking royal commission, 48 per cent of general counsel in Australia are looking to redesign their working practices. The State of Australian Corporate Law Departments Report 2019, produced by Thomson Reuters in collaboration with UK legal research firm Acritas, […]

Eight forces shaping legal innovation in the Australian market

In their research paper, entitled State of Legal Innovation in the Australian market, authors Eric Chin, Graeme Grovum and Matthew Grace, from the Alpha Creates legal industry consulting firm, explain how the Australian legal sector is changing. They also reveal gaps in the market that are creating opportunities for innovative legal services providers. The Australian […]

Q&A: Kriss Will – “When people ask me how I’m enjoying retirement, I say I’m not retired, I’m just not able to work.”

In the second of a two-part Q&A, Kriss Will, a respected long-time HR consultant to law firms and the founder of Kriss Will Consulting, explains why it is important for law firm leaders to be decent, and how she maintains a “glass-half-full” approach despite having received a life-changing health diagnosis. You must have seen the […]

Q&A: Kriss Will – “Great workplaces are not just about who has the best wellness program; they’re about the people with whom you work”

In the first of a two-part Q&A, Kriss Will, a respected long-time HR consultant to law firms and the founder of Kriss Will Consulting, shares her views on creating happy and productive workplaces, and why face-to-face networking can often be more effective than social media branding. Kriss, who has retired after being diagnosed with a […]