2024 was a year of landmark legal change, particularly with major updates in Family Law and Succession Law. As the dulcet croons of Christmas titans Michael Buble and Mariah Carey fade, we’re taking a moment to reflect and recap the most popular stories of 2024. From practical guides on cross-qualifying in major legal markets to insights on working with neurodivergent clients, our top ten stories highlight the profession's commitment to adaptation and excellence. As we head into 2025, these stories paint a picture of a profession in transition, where understanding the diverse needs of our clients matters as much as updates to the law itself. Let’s explore what captured your attention in 2024.
10. How to work with neurodivergent clients: Strategies for lawyers
As we gain a greater understanding of neurodivergence, Kathryn Schuck, Principal of Inclusive Family Law, explores what this can mean for lawyers. This comprehensive guide for working with neurodivergent clients provides practical strategies for adapting communication styles, modifying office environments, and developing client-centered approaches that better serve individuals with diverse neurological conditions. This can involve dimming light, creating quiet spaces, or even offering fidget toys. Taking tenth position, this story provides lawyers with concrete steps to foster a more accessible legal system.
9. Why Succession’s Gerri Kellman is a pitch-perfect GC
In this analysis of HBO's critically acclaimed series ‘Succession’, technology lawyer Matthew Hodgkinson explores why J. Smith-Cameron's portrayal of General Counsel Gerri Kellman resonates deeply with corporate lawyers. Declaring her “the patron saint of General Counsels everywhere,” Matthew highlights how Gerri masterfully navigates the ever-shifting powerplays of the Roy family empire. This article holds up Gerri’s experience as a mirror to our own as lawyers who must strike that tricky balance between ethics, law, and commercial directives.
8. Understanding priority notices: Property law practice update
This timely guide demystifies the critical role of priority notices in property transactions, providing practitioners with essential insights into recent regulatory changes and best practices. Property lawyer and College of Law lecturer Greg Stilianou breaks down the practical implications of priority notice systems, offering valuable strategies for property lawyers to protect their clients' interests while ensuring smooth settlement processes.
7. A guide to cross-qualifying as an Australian lawyer in the UK
This popular guide outlines the pathway to UK qualification for Australian legal professionals eyeing opportunities in Great Britain. As this route may not always be clear, the guide follows Duha Al Hassnawi's cross-qualification journey. Duha explores what’s required by the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) qualification routes and practical considerations while highlighting key differences between Australian and UK legal practice.
6. The Succession Act 2023 introduces major changes to succession law in South Australia
This deep dive into South Australia's Succession Act 2023 unpacks the significant reforms and the impacts for succession lawyers. Estates lawyer and College of Law Adjunct Lecturer Megan Horsell examines how these changes reshape the state's succession law landscape. She provides practitioners with crucial insights into new provisions affecting wills, intestacy, and family provision claims while offering practical guidance for adapting their practice to the new legislative framework.
5. Top ten most influential court cases of the 21st century
As we officially finish the first quarter of the 21st century, we examine the landmark decisions that have fundamentally shaped Australian law since 2000. The review explores how these pivotal judgments have influenced everything from constitutional interpretation, and climate action to COVID-19 emergency powers, offering an insight into the events and ideologies shaping our century.
4. 8 facts about Anzac Day
Always a popular piece, this is a re-cap of key facts about one of Australia's most important commemorative days. The article examines the legislative framework surrounding Anzac Day observance and provides insights into the facts, myths, and pilgrimages associated with Anzac Day.
3. How to take your legal career to the USA
The United States has long proved popular among ambitious Australian lawyers looking to move to the lucrative American market. First-year salaries offered by big firms can start at USD215,000 plus bonus, reaching USD370,000 by their fourth year. Access to these opportunities can seem complex and opaque.
David Nicol, Head of US Practice at Marsden, and Jonathan Walmsley, Co-founder and Managing Director of Marsden Australia, have helped countless Australian lawyers migrate to the United States. Together, they provide an overview of US qualification pathways, including bar examination requirements, visa considerations, and strategic approaches to breaking into the competitive US legal market.
2. Top 10 most influential court cases of the last 40 years
Consistently one of our all-time most popular stories, this retrospective examines the judicial decisions that have profoundly impacted Australian jurisprudence since the 1980s. From Mabo and subsequent Native Title cases to Chamberlain v the Queen, one of Australia’s most famous miscarriages of justice, this top 10 offers an exploration into the legal and political forces which have shaped our nation.
1. Considering taking your legal career to the UK? Here's how
Leading the year's most-read articles, this comprehensive guide walks aspiring solicitors through the intricacies of UK qualification. Alice Payne from the College of Law’s UK-base – The College of Legal Practice - explores the SQE system, including the exemption to SQE2 now available to Australian lawyers. She answers commonly asked questions, including what constitutes Qualified Work Experience (QWE), exemptions that apply for foreign-qualified lawyers, and what SQE assessments involve. It’s a guide packed with practical advice for Australian legal practitioners looking to establish their careers in the British legal system.