Editorial
Analysis, perspectives and stories from the people behind the profession.
92 stories
press
Australia's banking and finance lawyers are operating in a period of genuine legal flux — one driven not by a single legislative overhaul but by a confluence of regulatory shifts, technological disruption, and changing institutional expectations. The map is being redrawn in real time.
Profession Contributor · 17 April 2026
press
The indemnity principle, party-party cost orders, and the operation of cost sanctions in Australian civil litigation are frequently discussed as access to justice tools. They are not working as intended — and the reform conversation needs to be more honest about why.
Profession Contributor · 14 April 2026
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As artificial intelligence begins to handle the "heavy lifting" of legal research and document drafting, what remains for the human practitioner? The Profession explores whether a return to the "artisan" model of legal practice is warranted, or inevitable.
Profession Contributor · 13 April 2026
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For years, the Australian legal profession has occupied a unique position regarding anti-money laundering regulations. The arrival of "Tranche 2" will fundamentally change the business of law.
Profession Contributor · 11 April 2026
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Employment contracts fail in litigation not because of dramatic errors but because of small ambiguities, missing terms, and provisions that were copied from a precedent without being adapted to the specific relationship. Getting the drafting right requires both legal precision and a realistic picture of how employment relationships actually end.
Profession Contributor · 11 April 2026
press
Most lawyers approach personal branding as an afterthought — something they'll get to once the work slows down. The work never slows down. Meanwhile, the profession is quietly redistributing itself toward the practitioners who understood early that reputation is not the product of good work alone. It is engineered, tended, and published.
Lauren Kreitner · 10 April 2026
press
Australian professionals are increasingly assessing employers not only on salary and career opportunities, but on whether organisational values are reflected in leadership behaviour. In an environment shaped by transparency, reputational risk and heightened workplace expectations, workers are paying closer attention to the gap between what organisations say and what their leaders do. For legal and professional employers, authenticity, consistency and credibility have become critical factors in attracting and retaining talent.
Profession Contributor · 9 April 2026
press
As the Family Law Act continues its slow evolution, the tension between past contributions and future requirements remains a point of friction for practitioners. A clearer distinction between Section 79 and Section 75(2) is not just a technicality, but a necessity for equitable outcomes in the modern era.
Profession Contributor · 6 April 2026
Edition
The Edition is The Profession's bi-monthly column of considered writing — commentary, analysis, and long-form contribution from editorial and the practitioners who shape Australian legal life. Not news. Not noise. The kind of writing that earns a second reading: pieces that take a position, sit with complexity, and trust the reader to meet them there. Published twice monthly, to a standard that makes the wait worthwhile.
· 5 April 2026
press
Australian class action practice has been transformed over the past decade by the maturation of the litigation funding market, legislative changes to the regime in Victoria and federally, and a growing willingness by courts to manage large, complex group proceedings with genuine efficiency. The practical implications for defendants, insurers, and their advisers are substantial.
Profession Contributor · 24 March 2026
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The traditional "clerk" has been the gatekeeper of the Australian bar for a century. But as self-employed practitioners embrace tools like Lovable and automated practice management, the necessity of the middleman is being questioned.
Profession Contributor · 22 March 2026
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The "Right to Disconnect" is a significant shift in Australian industrial relations. The Profession explores the practical implications for mid-market firms and why the cultural change may be more difficult than the legal one.
Profession Contributor · 17 March 2026