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A desire for 4-day weeks and being adults on AI: What’s hot in law this week (16–20 Sept)
In the past week, a global law firm withdrew its presence Down Under, and research showed that lawyers are keen for truncated working weeks. Here is your weekly round-up of the biggest stories for Australia’s legal profession.
Lawyers Weekly
For the week from 16 September to 20 September, these were the 10 most-read stories on Lawyers Weekly (in case you missed them):
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1. Hogan Lovells to exit Australia
Global firm Hogan Lovells is set to exit the Australian market, having made the decision to close its last remaining office Down Under, in Sydney, which comprises almost 40 staff, including six partners.
2. ‘Inappropriate’: Solicitors disappear, ignore power of attorney role
Of the two solicitors appointed enduring power of attorney, one disappeared after he was suspended from practising and the other sent a “remarkable and entirely inappropriate” statement that essentially confirmed he would ignore the role.
3. Lawyers want 4-day weeks, research says
Nearly all legal professionals believe that being able to work a four-day week would improve their work/life balance – but much fewer believe their firms will implement it, a new report has found.
4. Deeming grilled over divisive transgender comments
On the second day of her defamation proceedings, Moira Deeming was questioned about her opinions on transgender and gender-diverse people and the supposed links she made to paedophiles.
5. Judge’s Fair Work penalty ‘inadequate’, union says
A construction union accused a federal judge of imposing too light a sentence on a Canberra painting business that was found to have underpaid a former employee around $45,000.
6. Reprimanded solicitor’s hopeless appeal criticised by tribunal
An ACT tribunal said it was “incongruous” for a solicitor to appeal a 12-month suspension for altering documentation because he should have considered himself lucky he did not receive a harsher penalty.
7. Women’s rally link to Nazis is ‘nonsensical’, Deeming’s barrister says
In the latest major defamation battle, counsel for ousted Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming said it was “incomprehensible” for John Pesutto, party leader and lawyer, to find any link between her speech at a women’s rally and the neo-Nazi gatecrashers.
8. Australia should ‘be the adult in the room’ on AI regulation
While looming Californian legislation sparks debate over safety and innovation, Australia will do well to maintain a “careful and cautious” approach when it comes to the regulation of artificial intelligence, legal experts say – an approach that must be replicated when dealing with clients.
9. Qld lawyer reprimanded over undertaking breach
A Queensland legal director who failed to attend appointments with a registered psychologist has been publicly reprimanded and banned from practising until next September.
10. From Zimbabwe to Australia: This lawyer’s incredible journey to a successful legal career
Here, Peter Muzariri shares the motivational story of his journey to becoming a lawyer, which took him across three continents. His experiences navigating these challenging times serve as a compelling testament to resilience and adaptability.
