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With the 2025 federal election looming, Leon Rebello, a solicitor at KWM and candidate for the LNP in McPherson, shared what drove him into politics and why he believes lawyers are well-equipped to handle public office.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Leon Rebello, the Liberal National candidate for the Queensland-based seat of McPherson and a solicitor at global law firm King & Wood Mallesons, opened up about the motivations driving his political ambitions and explored why lawyers are uniquely positioned to thrive in political roles.
Born to immigrant parents from Goa, India, Rebello explained that he “didn’t have much political exposure” growing up. It wasn’t until he began his university studies in Canberra and took a position as a parliamentary assistant in the House of Representatives that his government interest began to take shape.
Additionally, after working as a summer clerk during his penultimate year at KWM, Rebello landed a position with the then-foreign minister Julie Bishop, leading him to defer his graduate program temporarily.
While that experience helped nurture his interest, Rebello explained that his inspiration for pursuing politics ultimately traces back to the values his parents instilled in him during his upbringing.
“It goes back to the beginning for me and to the way that I was raised. I was fortunate enough to have parents who instilled in me the values of personal responsibility and reward for effort and hard work,” he said.
Rebello reflected that witnessing “my parents struggle at the time” while managing a business and investments shaped his understanding of the role government should play as something “that is there to help, but in many instances, it was getting in the way”.
“I think we just need to make sure that as a country, we do have people in politics who are visionary in that sense and [want] to make sure that we are looking to the future and thinking about all the incredible opportunities that we’ve got as a country and how we can actually best capitalise on them,” he said.
In response to a question about whether lawyers make effective political leaders, he said: “Your profession shouldn’t define you as a person. It’s a big part of you, but it shouldn’t define you as a person, and it certainly shouldn’t define your ability to be representative of your community.”
Rebello emphasised his belief that lawyers can be “exceptional” politicians as they possess a wealth of “transferable skills” that enable them to be highly effective representatives.
Drawing on their deep community involvement, he also noted that lawyers bring a strong “passion to fight for the community” if elected, making them natural advocates for the people they serve.
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