Just Chat
No bias, no politics: welcome to JustChat, where we speak to those making and shaping the law in NSW and bring you the human stories behind the justice system. From judges and the legal leaders of tomorrow, to law makers and reformed law breakers, in conversation with LSJ.
Episodes
41 episodes since 2022
Episode 42 - Jason Donnelly
Appointed as a university lecturer-in-law at 23 and a barrister at 25, Jason Donnelly has worked tirelessly to become one of Australia’s leading immigration and public law academics and barristers. From the most vulnerable members of society to...
September 12, 2024
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38:18
Episode 41 – Justice Ingmar Taylor
The Industrial Relations Court of NSW is back in operation, marking a significant shift in the state's approach to resolving workplace disputes and upholding work health and safety standards. As this new chapter begins, the President of the Ind...
August 08, 2024
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45:35
Episode 40 – Rosemary Kayess
Six months into her five-year term as Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Rosemary joins us in the studio to share her insights into the role, the challenges she's encountered, and the progress being made to advance the rights a...
July 11, 2024
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46:10
Episode 39 - Leo Patterson Ross
Stepping into the CEO role of the Tenants Union of NSW during COVID-19 presented many challenges for Leo. In this episode, he shares with us his journey from a social worker passionately fighting for renters’ rights to leading an organisation d...
June 12, 2024
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30:47
Episode 38 - Chief Justice Andrew Bell
In this episode, Chief Justice of NSW Andrew Bell shares his thoughts on the bicentenary of the Supreme Court of NSW. He reflects on the court's rich history including the most challenging moments (and colourful characters) of the past 20...
May 09, 2024
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52:59
Episode 37 - Craig Foster
Ex-socceroo Craig Foster is a busy person. Nowadays a sports commentator, he plays soccer as a hobby, and complements it with activism, helping Hakeem al-Araibi return to Australia, and his work in the Australian Republican movement. He dials i...
April 11, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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58:23
Episode 36 - Jamelle Wells
As the Senior Court Reporter for the ABC, Jamelle Wells has a privileged point of view on the mechanisms of justice in New South Wales. She has seen both the most thrilling, and most mundane court sessions, but always kept her curiosity. In thi...
March 14, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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48:44
Episode 35 - Jahan Kalantar
The start of the pandemic brought rapidly changing and confusing regulations. Jahan saw a gap that needed to be filled and decided to make daily videos explaining the updates to the everyday person. This gave birth to the "TikTok lawyer”, who g...
February 08, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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48:56
Episode 34 - Cassandra Banks
Before she passes the baton of the Law Society Presidency, Cassandra Banks sits with Amy Dale to talk about her experience as the President, her proudest achievements, how to overcome the fear of speaking in public, and her message to the next ...
December 14, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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36:33
Episode 33 - Justice Steven Rares
Soon to retire Justice Steven Rares shares what it's been like to spend 17 years on the Federal Court of Australia. He also speaks about his interest in defamation law and the high profile cases he has worked on, plus what's driven him personal...
November 09, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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40:53
Episode 32 - Thomas Mayo
With two weeks to go before the referendum on the Voice to Parliament, Amy Dale talks with activist, community leader, and signatory of the Uluru Statement From The Heart, Thomas Mayo about the referendum, the elders who have inspired him and h...
September 28, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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42:25
Episode 31 - Sally Dowling
In this episode, NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling chats about the best advice she has received as a legal practitioner, what justice means to her and her 'must watch' tv and movie recommendations.
September 07, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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43:50
Episode 30: Nicholas Stewart (redux)
The 2022 winner of the Law Society's President's Medal, Nicholas Stewart, returns to Just Chat to discuss the cases and causes close to his heart, the aftermath of his win and recent trips to the cinema. Episode supported by
August 09, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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40:24
Episode 29 - Andrew Tiedt
Andrew Tiedt has regularly helped LSJ in articles about Criminal Law. Now he sits down with Francisco Silva to talk about his journey into the profession, his thoughts about the jury system, and the moral conundrums of a criminal lawye...
July 13, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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51:23
Episode 28 - Dom Knight
Dom Knight was studying law when he founded The Chaser with a group of friends. In this episode of Just Chat, he talks with Floyd Alexander-Hunt about his career with the satirical group, from how it runs as a business to how he almost got arre...
June 08, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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46:24
Episode 27: James Allsop
James Allsop was Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia for 10 years. One month after leaving the role, he talks about how technology is changing the court system, his work in native title cases, and his proudest moments.
April 28, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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42:55
Episode 26 - Trent Wallace
For this week, Just Chat becomes Just Yarn. Trent Wallace now lives in Brisbane, but his journey in law went from his community in the Central Coast, to the legal centres in Sydney. He sits down with Francisco Silva for a yarn on his experience...
March 16, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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52:09
Episode 25 - Justice Dina Yehia
For the first episode of 2023, Keely McDonough sits down with NSW Supreme Court Justice Dina Yehia for a discussion about the moments that have shaped her career and how to make the profession more inclusive.
February 09, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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45:42
Episode 24 - Joanne van der Plaat
For our final episode of 2022, Keely McDonough speaks to the Law Society's outgoing president, Joanne van der Plaat. Joanne reflects on navigating the profession out of COVID, the toll of natural disasters and a year of advocacy on many fronts....
December 14, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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45:36
Episode 23 - Suzie Miller
Playwriter Suzie Miller worked as a lawyer in King's Cross when she got the calling to write a play about the stories she was living. Since then, her career has skyrocketed commercially and critically. As her play Prima Facie is about to start ...
November 17, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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46:33
Episode 22 - Bill Browder
Bill Browder is a financier turned political activist, dubbed a chief enemy of Vladimir Putin. Dialling in from London, he tells Amy Dale about how the murder of his lawyer inspired a global campaign for Magnitsky laws.
October 13, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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43:27
Episode 21 - Carina Ford
The Murugappan family became the face of Australia's tough asylum-seeker policies. Their lawyer Carina Ford dials in to talk about the family's return to Biloela, the unspoken trauma of immigrants, and the policies needed to support refugees.
September 08, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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34:32
Episode 19 - Rick Welsh
Access to justice is at the heart of everything Rick Welsh does. The proud Murrawarri man is the coordinator of The Shed, an Aboriginal suicide prevention service based in Western Sydney, and speaks candidly to Keely McDonough about improving...
July 06, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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48:33
Episode 18 - Courtney Bowie
Award-winning business owner and CEO Courtney Bowie is doing her part to create a world where law firms focus more on tackling gender discrimination, innovation and mental health than billable hours. Supported by
June 09, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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40:06
Episode 17 - Diana Reid
Diana Reid was starting her legal career when the pandemic drove her to tick off a new bucket list item: write a book. Diana tells Amy Dale about the resulting bestseller and the letters exchanged with a legendary Australian author. Supported...
April 28, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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34:09