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Lawyers

Twelve angling (for) women

8 March 2010 | Glass ceilings, slippery ladders, boys' clubs and fraternities are finally being eradicated in an elite list of law firms, the government announced today.


Enter the dragon: How to work with Asia

5 March 2010 | Working successfully with Asia requires more than certain legal expertise. The relationship has to change, writes barrister William Lye


Dispute resolution to open flow of work for lawyers

5 March 2010 | There is money being made, and until now Australian lawyers haven’t had their share. But a new dispute resolution centre in Sydney is set to open the floodgates.


Blakes thaws pay freeze rumours

2 March 2010 | Blake Dawson has rejected claims it won’t lift a pay freeze implemented in the depth of winter that was the global financial crisis


Lawyers called to task in royal legal saga

1 March 2010 | If all the King's horses are not involved, all the King's legal men may as well be in a privacy legal dispute involving Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince William.


Lawyers call Indigenous Australians to the law

15 February 2010 | A new policy statement released by the peak body representing Australian lawyers aims to highlight a commitment by Australian lawyers to address Indigenous disadvantage in the practice of law.


How to get a job in a law firm: Insiders tell all

15 February 2010 | Corrs Chambers Westgarth's national human resources manager sheds some light on the dark corners of law firm hiring and firing.


In-house dissatisfied with ADR results

4 February 2010 | As more companies turn to international arbitration, in-house lawyers are beginning to complaint that the process can be just as costly and time-consuming as litigation.


Lawyers applaud family law report

29 January 2010 | The peak body representing Australian lawyers has applauded the federal government's three newly released reports examining the operation of the family law system and law courts.


Time billing still preferred by firms

27 January 2010 | While firms were willing to drop their rates to accommodate flailing clients in the global financial crisis, only a small per cent changed their billing structures.


WA lawyers riled over stop and search laws

27 January 2010 | WA lawyers have expressed their consternation over the proposed extension of police powers and the inevitable consequences of changes to stop and search laws.


Jobs, the GFC, and the lawyers in the sandwich

25 January 2010 | Mimi Fong, managing director of recruiters Amicas Global, writes the first jobs and recruitment column for The New Lawyer. The big question to start the year in recruitment? How are lawyers coping as they are stuck between their jobs and the GFC?


New year, time to thrive

22 January 2010 | Surely lawyers would thrive if they worked in an environment that animated them with a genuine sense of purpose, which puts their needs as professionals at the centre of its vision, writes Nick James from Optim Legal.


Merger law changes stem controversy

19 January 2010 | Merger law is set for an overhaul and lawyers are gearing up for big changes in 2010.


2009: When firms dodged a bullet

18 January 2010 | Partner intakes slowed last year and some firm partner numbers decreased. But, generally speaking, most managing partners in Australia dodged a bullet in 2009, writes John Chisholm. 1 comment


LCA makes bid to tie up loose ends

18 January 2010 | The new head of the body representing the Australian legal profession has made a bid to tie up all the loose strings around reforms to the profession this year.


Microsoft out of the frying pan

14 January 2010 | In-house lawyers at Microsoft are making sighs of relief after the European regulators dropped their antitrust case against the software giant.


Lawyers appointed to NAB, AXA deal

14 January 2010 | Allens Arthur Robinson is acting for National Australia Bank Limited on the proposed acquisition of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings (AXA APH).


Woodside deal represents change in capital raisings

16 December 2009 | Freehills is advising Woodside Petroleum on its announced $2.5 billion capital raising.


Brisbane firm hires ex Minters, Mallesons man

15 December 2009 | A Brisbane law firm has hired a former Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Minter Ellison lawyer on its commercial property team.


Lawyers advise on new OHS laws

14 December 2009 | New model laws will harmonise occupational health and safety in every state except Western Australia from 2012.


Questions raised over use of private practice lawyers in legal aid

11 December 2009 | Supplementing private practice lawyers with salaries lawyers could help rescue Australia's legal aid system from its impending demise, a new report suggests.


DLA Piper in Dubai to send lawyers, staff to Australia

9 December 2009 | DLA Piper has announced a new round of job cuts in the Middle East, with an undisclosed number of its lawyers and staff also now heading for Australia.


Victorian lawyers call for removal of 'rushed' bill

9 December 2009 | The peak body representing lawyers in Victoria has called on the state government to withdraw a "rushed" sex offenders bill, saying it falls short of the Charter of Human Rights.


Lawyers grapple with climate change advice

4 December 2009 | Lawyers are gearing up to advise clients on what Wednesday's demise of the emissions trading scheme in the Senate means for their businesses.


Lawyers engage on climate talks

3 December 2009 | Australian law firms are sending their climate change experts to Copenhagen next week - Freehills, Deacons and Norton Rose, and Minter Ellison included.


Law firms investing in arbitration

26 November 2009 | Australia is set to become a global leader in international arbitration after Attorney General Robert McClelland yesterday tabled legislative amendments in Parliament.


Judges to lose wigs

10 November 2009 | Western Australia’s Supreme and District Court judges will no longer wear wigs in court.


Australia to play host to leading legal minds

5 November 2009 | Top law officers from around the world will descend upon Australia for the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in 2011.


New law firm targets Brisbane property market

3 November 2009 | A new legal force is opening up in the Brisbane property market.


Lawyers more popular than solicitors

3 November 2009 | Lawyers are twice as likely to be hunted than solicitors, a new survey reveals.


WA lawyers furious over legal aid

3 November 2009 | Lawyers in Western Australia have reacted to a new report revealing a decline in legal aid funding.


Barcelona trip leaves lawyers twittering

2 November 2009 | Which various tapas will Norton Rose lawyers be enjoying in Barcelona next week?


Law and order tops agenda in WA

28 October 2009 | A criminal law barrister has taken the helm at the peak body representing Western Australian lawyers.


Firms overspending on support staff

27 October 2009 | There is a worrying discrepancy between the current and optimal levels of law firms' support staff, a new survey has revealed.


Firms' hiring confidence back

22 October 2009 | Signs that the economy is on the road to recovery are filtering through to the legal market, with recruiters saying business is again pumping.


A-G's external legal spend revealed

21 October 2009 | External lawyers have been paid many million by the Attorney General's Department in the past year, a new report reveals.


Barristers hit with new experience requirement

19 October 2009 | Sole barristers will need a hefty additional two and a half years' experience from next year.


AWA boss in court today

19 October 2009 | Lawyers for former Australian Wheat Board boss Andrew Lindberg have accused ASIC of an abuse of process in the case of the oil for food scandal.


Legal specific job network launched

19 October 2009 | The legal profession will now have access to a newly launched dedicated jobs network on The New Lawyer site.


US questions value of Australian firms for Asia

8 October 2009 | The question of whether Australian law firms hold the key to Asia that firms such as Norton Rose and Clifford Chance thinks it does, has been raised in the United States.


Lawyers applaud human rights report

8 October 2009 | The peak body representing Australian lawyers has welcomed today's release of the National Human Rights Consultation report, which recommends the adoption of a Human Rights Act.


Firms unearth new $450m capital raising

30 September 2009 | Freehills and Mallesons have worked on rare earths explorer Lynas Corporation's newly unveiled plan for a heavily discounted $450 million capital raising.


Court closures rile regional lawyers

30 September 2009 | A string of court closures has angered regional lawyers, who say it will hinder access to justice.


Lawyers and clients meet online

30 September 2009 | A new video site will match lawyers with potential clients


Corrs kicks goal for teaching

29 September 2009 | Donning modified business suits, a bevy of Corrs lawyers and staff took to the football field in an effort to boost awareness of a student support program, backed by the firm.


Polanski's lawyers question validity of extradition

29 September 2009 | Roman Polanski's lawyers have vowed to fight his extradition from Switzerland 32 years after the film director committed statutory rape.


IP lawyer voted top woman in legal profession

29 September 2009 | An intellectual property lawyer has been named the top woman lawyer in New South Wales private practice.


Freehills, Allens build roadmap of new legislation

28 September 2009 | Two top-tier firms have advised the Victorian Government on its new transport legislation.


Top-tier firm denies lingerie allowance rumours

21 September 2009 | A major law firm has denied reports that things are going so well that lawyers will be given a $168 lingerie allowance. 2 comments


Migration lawyers targeted in regulations overhaul

18 September 2009 | The president of the peak body representing Australian lawyers today pointed to migration lawyers in an effort to highlight the need to push for a national regulation of the legal profession.


Mid tier competes

18 September 2009 | The mid tier is proving it can compete with the top tier, and that it's now better placed in some areas.


FWO reveals legal panel shake up

18 September 2009 | The Fair Work Ombudsman has announced its new legal services panels. Mid tier joins the top tier.


Legal profession regulation tops Perth talks

17 September 2009 | Top legal eagles are today weighing in on how to regulate the legal profession


ASIC issues warning to lawyers

15 September 2009 | ASIC has issued a warning to lawyers following a Supreme Court ruling.


Lawyers versus hospitals in string of negligence claims

15 September 2009 | A mid-tier law firm will represent more than 50 former patients of Queensland hospitals who are suing for negligence.


Dissatisfaction rife in large law: survey

11 September 2009 | A new survey has revealed just how unhappy lawyers working in the top tier are


Top-tier firm to sack 117 employees

11 September 2009 | A mega firm has entered into its fourth round of redundancies, putting 117 roles under threat.


Australian lawyers riled over Fiji lawlessness

9 September 2009 | The rule of law in Fiji is under threat after its interim president terminated a Court of Appeal ruling, the international body representing Australian barristers, judges and lawyers says.


Depression top of agenda for firms

7 September 2009 | Five major Australian firms are on the brink of announcing their own support services for young graduate staff and law students.


Letter to the Editor: In defense of law schools

31 August 2009 | Australian law schools, at least, are far from failing the profession, law lecturer Simon Rice says. 2 comments


Complaints about law firms set for regulatory scrutiny

28 August 2009 | New regulation needs to be introduced to hold accountable the actions of law firms, as well as individual lawyers, according to the Queensland Legal Services Commissioner, John Briton.


Long day's journey into night for firms

26 August 2009 | Far from it being the end of the GFC, more proof comes showing this is going to be a long, painful journey for most legal firms.


Lawyers, employers, frustrated by legislative delays

24 August 2009 | Lawyers and their clients are being held ransom by delays over draft laws governing employee share schemes.


Why law schools are failing attorneys and the legal industry

24 August 2009 | Lawyers and law firms need to take up the banner and demand more from law schools, which are failing the profession, Stephen Fairley writes 2 comments


Lawyers vote on human rights

19 August 2009 | A call to action has come from the Australian Human Rights Commission...


Lawyers to click their defences online

18 August 2009 | Lawyers will be able to argue their cases with the click of a mouse after a new court initiative announced by the NSW state government this week.


Proposed laws 'reactionary and repressive': lawyers

17 August 2009 | Debates around judges and magistrates' ability to conduct discretionary sentencing in Western Australia will be thrown to the media today ahead of the proposed mandatory sentencing laws due to pass in Parliament this week.


WA lawyers furious over redress cuts

03:00 PM | As the Western Australian Government defends its decision to reduce compensation to people who were abused as children in state care, the state's lawyers are furious about the decision.


Political ruckus a lawyer's win

12 August 2009 | The Government wants the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme to be part of its armoury in fighting global warming.


Mallesons lawyer turns to classroom

11 August 2009 | When she is not working as a partner in Mallesons Stephen Jaques’ construction practice, Julie Wright can be found in the classroom teaching not law, but engineering students.


Gloves off in mid-tier value debate

10 August 2009 | The mid tier responds to claims that it shouldn't be too confident in the current climate. Hopgood Ganim Lawyers' managing partner, Bruce Humphrys, writes.


Cooper Grace moves offices

4 August 2009 | Internal growth has prompted Brisbane-based law firm Cooper Grace Ward to secure a ten year lease in the first five green-star building under construction in the CBD.


Corporates scoop legal talent

3 August 2009 | Lawyers up to the partner level have been keen to "try their hand" outside the law firm environment, a new survey has revealed.


Partners suffering most in economic downturn

31 July 2009 | The latest survey from Mahlab Recruitment shows partners in particular are feeling the burden of tougher market conditions in the legal profession.


Legal associations struggle to keep members

30 July 2009 | The vast array of legal membership-based associations are working harder than ever for their members, and in the current economic climate, the energy is specifically focused on keeping them.


Mallesons announces redundancies

29 July 2009 | Mallesons Stephen Jaques has today announced a voluntary redundancy program. 1 comment


Judges, lawyers to do jury duty

29 July 2009 | Victorian lawyers, judges and politicians could soon be expected to attend jury service.


Lawyers' ski race this weekend

29 July 2009 | Lawyers from across Australia will be heading for the snowy peaks this weekend as the profession's ski and snowboard race kicks off in Thredbo.


Lawyers vote to take pay cut

27 July 2009 | Staff at Scotland's biggest law firm have voted to take a pay cut over redundancies.


LIV campaign boosts work for members

27 July 2009 | The Law Institute of Victoria handed its members an opportunity for new work today after it urged overseas students to get legal advice before they embark on study in Australia.


Govt fails families: Victorian lawyers

24 July 2009 | The federal Government has missed the point on family violence and family law, according to a peak body representing Victorian lawyers.


DPP, lawyers, in court over legal advice

24 July 2009 | The director of prosecutions, with three other lawyers, is in court defending himself against a former client, who is attempting to sue them for legal advice they gave 18 years ago.


Conservative lawyers struggle with networking

23 July 2009 | As law firms strive to get closer to clients and better position themselves to bid for work in the global economic crisis, social networking has become the tool de rigeur. But it's not for everyone.


Legal rankings under scrutiny

23 July 2009 | How legal eagles rank against their peers is the cause of much furor in the legal world. But also, the reports that rank, measure and rate them are also under considerable scrutiny.


Legal profession is socially exclusive: report

22 July 2009 | The legal profession is socially exclusive, wealthier and better educated than its other-profession peers, a new report has found 1 comment


England tests Australian-style litigation funding

21 July 2009 | Three lawyers are planning to float a $102m fund that they hope will make money by financing legal disputes as well as share in any damages awarded.


Top legal technology guru joins Twitter

21 July 2009 | Another top legal name joins Twitter, the global social and business networking site, today.


Lawyer feared dead after terrorist attacks

20 July 2009 | An Australian lawyer is one of 20 businessmen believed to be the target of a suicide bombers attack in Jakarta on Friday.


Regional lawyers feel like 'failed lawyers'

17 July 2009 | Following the release of the Law Council of Australia's rural, regional and remote areas lawyers survey, The New Lawyer speaks to lawyers about their experiences working in regional Australia


ACCC's warning to lawyers: don't test us on cartel laws

16 July 2009 | Lawyers that second-guess the ACCC about new cartel laws will be brought into account, says the competition and consumer watchdog.


Clients turn screws on value

15 July 2009 | Clients want more than reduced rates from their law firms in the global economic downturn.


Lawyers back new compensation laws

15 July 2009 | The Tasmanian Government says it has hit the mark with new workers compensation laws, but employers say the new laws will increase costs and kill jobs. 2 comments


Michael Jackson's memorial spurs legal doubts

10 July 2009 | Concerns have been raised in the legal arena around an apparent rush-job hearing in which a jury decision was expedited by a juror rushing to make the Michael Jackson memorial service.


M&A lawyers weigh up deal size versus volume conundrum

7 July 2009 | Mergers and acquisitions lawyers are poring over the string of newly released tables ranking their deal counts, deal size and clients against those of their peers.


Mental health comes into focus

26 June 2009 | Legal bodies are increasing the information resources available to lawyers on mental health issues as the global financial crisis continues to take jobs.


Climate change a boon for young lawyers

25 June 2009 | Young lawyers starting out in environmental practice groups had an incredible opportunity to be involved in the new practice area of climate change law, almost from its inception.


Legal aid bottoms out in reverse auction

22 June 2009 | British MPs are facing a revolt by lawyers over plans to introduce a "reverse auction" system for legal aid.


Chief Justice touts lawyers' moral duty

16 June 2009 | The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Queensland has welcomed new graduates into the legal profession, lecturing them on their responsibilities as officers of the court.


Pay cuts boom as firms avoid redundancies

12 June 2009 | Pay cuts have replaced layoffs as the money saver de rigeur for law firms.


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