Before the Court - Deakin Law Students' Society

Join Georgia and Georgia as they speak to Maria Cananzi. Maria Cananzi is a Barrister who works across all areas of criminal law, as well as in relation administrative and regulatory matters, coronial inquests and occupational health and safety prosecutions. Maria completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne in 2018, following the completion of her Bachelor of Arts (majoring in International Politics and Italian).Maria began her professional career completing her PLT placement at a specialist criminal law firm, working across matters of terrorism and homicide. Following this Maria became a Judge’s Associate, then a Senior Registry Lawyer, both in the Victorian Court of Appeal. Following this Maria worked as a Solicitor for the Office of the Special Investigator, before joining the Victorian Bar in 2022.

Join Ava and Will as they speak to Nicholas Donaghy. Nicholas is a Principal Solicitor at the Office of Public Prosecutions and an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law. For 11 years, Nicholas was a solicitor in the OPP's Specialist Sex Offences Unit (SSOU), during which he managed the OPP’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.Following SSOU’s dissolution in 2022, he was appointed to lead the OPP’s inaugural Specialist Sex Offences Committee. He now triages and oversees sex offence matters across the OPP and delivers training and advice internally and externally. Nicholas has prosecuted hundreds of matters, including many high-profile and complex cases.Nicholas graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Laws in 2005 and then went on to complete his Postgraduate Diploma of Legal Practice with the College of Law. Earlier in his career, he served for five years as a Judge’s Associate at the County Court, working with 39 different judges - primarily with the now Deputy Chief Judge of the County Court Meryl Sexton.

Join Henry as he chats with Alice Mayne (student and former DLSS Director of Education) about all things wellbeing - this is an episode about a really important topic and is not to be missed!

Join Ava and Georgia as they speak to Emma Murphy. Emma Murphy is currently an Associate at Maurice Blackburn and practices exclusively in the field of medical negligence. She is located at the Bendigo office and is currently the only regionally based medical negligence lawyer in Victoria at Maurice Blackburn. This experience has made her very passionate about attracting young lawyers into the regions. Emma completed her studies in 2013 at Monash University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws majoring in Medical and Health Law, as well as a Bachelor of Science majoring in Development Biology and Genetics. Emma then went on to complete her Practical Legal Training at the Coroner's Court of Victoria and was subsequently admitted to practice in 2014. Emma is passionate about equality and accessibility within the healthcare system. Due to this passion and her interest in bridging public knowledge between health, science and the law, Emma was eager to commence a career in medical negligence law.

Join Emilie and Ava as they speak to Alison Cusack. Alison Cusack is currently the Principal Solicitor at Cusack & Co, a firm that specialises in Maritime and Shipping Law. Alison completed her studies in 2010 at Victoria University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and Business. She then completed the graduate program at the Australian Taxation Office and was subsequently admitted to practice in 2012. Alison then went on to work with the Australian National Line as a member in-house corporate counsel, before further pursuing her passion for Maritime Law by establishing her own firm, Cusack & Co, in 2018. Currently, Alison is a highly accomplished and well-respected solicitor and leader within the Maritime Industry, having often lent her passion and expertise within the field, notably acting as the president of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association Australia, between 2018-2022.

Join Hannah Dickinson and Swathika Karthikeyan to discuss Hannah’s work at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

In this episode of Before the Court, we are joined by Joseph Ishow. Joseph completed a Bachelor of Criminal Justice Administration before going on to complete his JD. Joseph has had a successful career working at Community Legal Centres as a family lawyer. Currently, at Fitzroy Legal Service, Joseph works within the family violence team. CLC's rely on volunteer law students to continue to provide pro bono legal services to our community. If this episode has sparked your interest in volunteering at Fitzroy Legal Service, apply here: https://fls.org.au/volunteer-program/ Some of the other services offered include: Family Violence Health Justice Partnerships We provide legal assistance in relation to family violence via outreach to a number of different locations within the City of Yarra. Drug Outreach Lawyer Program Our drug outreach lawyers assist individuals with legal problems related to alcohol and drug use. In line with the holistic approach of the program, the lawyers work closely and collaboratively with members of the community and relevant heath agencies to promote and focus on harm minimisation and areas of high need. Program partners across City of Yarra and City of Darebin include YSAS (Youth Support and Advocacy Service), Living Room, Inner Space, North Richmond Community Health, Odyssey House Victoria and Uniting Care ReGen. Darebin Family Law Support Specialist family law parenting matters advice and representation for City of Darebin residents. Criminal Defence Practice Our lawyers can provide legal representation to people who are charged with a summary or indictable criminal offence or are respondents in relation to a family violence intervention order if they are eligible for a grant of legal aid, or are able to pay for representation. Our fees are designed to assist clients ineligible for legal aid and reflect our role as a community legal resource, meaning we are able to assist people that might not be able to afford representation from a private law firm. We work out how much your case will cost based on the work that must be done in accordance with your instructions. Family Law Property and Parenting Practice Family Law Property & Parenting Practice: We provide legal representation for family law property and/or parenting matters to people who are eligible for a grant of legal aid or are able to pay for representation. Our fees are designed to assist clients ineligible for legal aid and reflect our role as a community legal resource. We work out how much your case will cost based on the work that must be done in accordance with your instructions. Migrant Employment Law Clinic Our Migrant Employment Law Clinic is open to people from overseas who have been underpaid or exploited in employment, including: International students (500 visas); People on working holidays (417 and 462 ‘backpacker’ visas); Workers invited to Australia through the Temporary Skills Shortage program (TSS visas); and Refugee and humanitarian visa-holders. We can assist with: Recovery of unpaid wages and entitlements; Advice about correct rates of pay; Unpaid training; Unauthorised deductions from pay; Unfair dismissals and breach of general protections laws; Sham contracting; Workplace bullying; Workplace injuries; and Workplace discrimination. We cannot advise on immigration law. If you would like assistance from the Migrant Employment Law Clinic, please make an enquiry for our legal advice night service for initial advice and consultation. COVID Debt, Employment & Tenancy Clinic Our lawyers can provide legal assistance for vulnerable people affected by tenancy, debt and employment issues impacted by the COVID pandemic.

Mr Simon Rubenstein was admitted on the 03rd April 1995 and first signed the Bar roll on the 22nd May 2003. Completing his Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and then subsequently his Master of Laws at Melbourne University focusing on commercial law, financial services law, and employment law. Simon is also well versed in the Securities law practice area. Simon has previously appeared in both trials and interlocutory proceedings in the Federal, Supreme and County Courts, as well as appearing in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Simon has extensive experience in areas including corporations and financial services litigation, where he has acted on behalf of both company directors, shareholders, stockbrokers, and insurers to name a few. As well as this, Simon also has extensive experience in corporations and financial services regulation where he has acted in matters on behalf of both companies and individuals facing investigation and enforcement action initiated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. He has acted and advised for persons involved in large-scale ASIC investigations such as Westpoint, AWB and Trio Capital matters. Simon has also previously been engaged as a Legal Consultant with ASIC. During this time, he provided legal advice for large scale corporate investigations as well as financial market investigations which included market misconduct, continuous disclosure, and insider trading investigations. Simon was the senior lawyer on the highly successful investigation and prosecution of Sydney stockbroker, Rene Rivkin, for insider trading. Simon’s Email: simon.rubenstein@vicbar.com.au

Join Bailiejean and Isabelle for a deep dive into the practice area of Wills and Estates with solicitor, Susan Bonnici. Susan has over ten years experience in this area of law, and currently works at Equity Trustees. In this episode, Susan shares with us the skills required to excel in this area of law, the way succession planning encompasses a broad range of practice areas like family law, tax law and property law, and how she has grown her career to reflect her passion for providing care and advice tailored to the needs of every individual.

Deakin Alumnus James Bell joins Brittany and Deeksha to chat about his experience as a Deakin Law School student, and his exciting career as a lawyer and policy officer in the Victorian Public Service. In this episode, James reflects on his international study experiences in China and Japan whilst studying at Deakin, and provides valuable insight into why participating in mooting competitions is incredibly beneficial to your overall study experience.

Join Beth and Brit for a conversation with Deakin Law School Alumnus Bonnie Phillips. Bonnie is now an Accredited Family Law Specialist and Head of the Family and Relationship law team at Coulter Legal . In this episode, Bonnie reflects on her time at Deakin and shares her experience as a team member in the Deakin Vis Moot team. Bonnie also speaks about the practice of family law and the practical process of family law disputes, and the management and team leadership aspect of her role. 

Join Britney and Bailiejean from our Industry Careers team for a conversation with Criminal defence lawyer Ennes Marcellus. Ennes discusses the importance of networking, relating to your clients, and developing strong social skills in the legal profession. He also shares the attributes that Criminal lawyers should possess to allow them to foster strong connections, and to enable a high level of professionalism to be maintained. Ennes discusses his time training in the Australian Army, and the way this impacted upon his legal career. He then shares his advice about time management, and maintaining a work life balance.

Kristina Kothrakis details her career path to becoming a Partner at Doogue + George and what an average day looks like in criminal law. From policy changes that she is passionate about to advice for law students, Kristina discusses the ins and outs of working in criminal defence law and how she has gotten where she is. Kristina is an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist which a particular focus on sexual offences, white collar crime, drug trafficking/importations and jury trials. The views expressed on this podcast are those of the Guest Speaker. The Deakin Law Students’ Society does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular speaker or authenticate the accuracy of the information provided. The use a listener makes of the information provided in this podcast is the listener’s sole responsibility. The Deakin Law Students’ Society acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to them and their cultures; and to elders both past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.