William and Lonsdale - Lives in the Law

Hosted by Greens List Barristers

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Episodes

129

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Aug 2026

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About the show

William and Lonsdale - Lives in the Law explores the legal ecosystem and the fascinating people that make it tick. Your host Michael Green interviews guests from all corners of the criminal justice system, delving into what keeps them motivated, passionate and engaged; their challenges, frustrations; and how their lives in the law have shaped them.

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60 recent

September 9, 20261 hr 19 min

Hugh de Kretser

This week, Michael Green speaks with Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Hugh has spent much of his career working to advance human rights and social justice. After beginning his career in commercial law, he moved into the community legal sector, going on to work with the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria, the Victorian Law Reform Commission and the Sentencing Advisory Council. He later led the Human Rights Law Centre and was CEO of the Yoorrook Justice Commission before being appointed President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Along the way, each role has brought Hugh into different communities and given him a deeper understanding of the people and experiences that sit behind questions of law, justice and human rights. We’ll hear about all this and more in today’s episode. It’s a fascinating conversation, and an honour to hear about Hugh’s Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

August 26, 2026Episode 821 hr 0 min

Lauren Cassimatis

This week, we welcome criminal lawyer Lauren Cassimatis, founder and principal of Gallant Law. Lauren has spent more than two decades defending people at some of the most frightening and consequential moments of their lives. For Lauren, good representation means seeing the person behind the charge and understanding the bigger picture of their life. Lauren is also the founder of Connecting Lawyer Mums, a nationwide community supporting thousands of women as they navigate law, leadership and family. We’ll hear about all this and more in today’s episode, including Lauren’s insights into the experiences of women who commit crime, her love and study of fashion, and the influence of her Greek heritage on her life and career. It’s a fascinating conversation, and a pleasure to hear about Lauren’s Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

August 12, 2026Episode 811 hr 3 min

Brind Zichy-Woinarski KC

This week, we welcome Brind Zichy-Woinarski KC, one of the longest-serving and most respected members of the Victorian Bar. From his first mooting competition at university, Brind knew he wanted to be a barrister. As he puts it, he simply wanted to be on his feet, making a fool of himself. In this episode, we hear about being named "Mr Junior" while he was still a reader at the Bar, becoming one of the founding members of the Criminal Bar Association, and appearing in some of Australia's most significant legal matters, including decades of criminal trials, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Lindy and Michael Chamberlain's Convictions, and serving amicus curiae in the Nicola Gobbo (Lawyer X) litigation. It is wonderful to have Brind on the show, and fascinating to hear about his long and distinguished Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

July 29, 2026Episode 801 hr 12 min

Derek Humphery-Smith

This week, we welcome Derek Humphery-Smith, Partner and Head of International at Lander & Rogers, to Lives in the Law. Derek practises in all areas of workplace relations and safety law. He is also Chair of TerraLex, the world’s largest network of independent law firms, and Chairman of the Victorian Council of Governors for the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia - roles we explore in this episode. Derek first studied science at the University of Queensland, where he discovered a passion for anatomy. But while completing his honours year, it dawned on him that science might not be his lifelong path, so he embarked on a law degree. Around the same time, he was transitioning from playing AFL football at university to umpiring. He went on to become an AFL umpire, a role that brought him to Melbourne, where he pursued both his legal career and umpiring simultaneously. As you’ll hear, in a football town like Melbourne there were significant professional benefits to being on the inside of the AFL, and often unexpected advantages to having both strings to his bow. It’s a fascinating conversation about a career that has spanned the law, international legal practice, governance and elite sport, and a pleasure to welcome Derek to Lives in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

July 15, 2026Episode 791 hr 33 min

Peter Gordon

This week we welcome Peter Gordon, one of Australia’s most prominent class action lawyers. Peter’s worldview was profoundly shaped by growing up in Melbourne’s west. It informed both his politics and his approach to the law - particularly his belief that the law could, and should, be used to protect ordinary people from the wrongdoing of powerful institutions. It also forged a deep and lifelong passion for the Footscray Football Club, where he would, of course, go on to serve as President - twice. As we’ll hear today, even before he was admitted to practice, Peter was taking on large companies he believed were doing the wrong thing - and he hasn’t stopped doing so since. Over the decades, Peter has been involved in many landmark cases, including the first successful mesothelioma litigation in Australia, representing medically acquired HIV patients, acting for women injured by defective breast implants, and survivors of Thalidomide. It is a wide ranging and fascinating conversation, and a pleasure to welcome him to Lives in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

July 1, 2026Episode 781 hr 10 min

The Hon. Christopher Beale KC, with special guest Max Beale

This week we welcome recently retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, The Honourable Christopher Beale - and, for the first time on Lives in the Law, we welcome a second guest later in the episode: Chris’s eldest son, Max, a well-known and much-loved member of Melbourne’s legal community. Chris became known around the world as the presiding judge in the case of Erin Patterson, the so-called “mushroom murders.” We will hear about that experience in detail, but despite the global attention the case attracted, it is far from the most compelling chapter in his life. Across his career, Chris has seen the criminal law from every angle, starting young at the Victorian Bar, lecturing in criminal law at Monash University, working as a Crown Prosecutor, and later presiding over some of the state’s most significant cases. Along the way, he also authored and continues to update Pocket Evidence Law - an iconic and freely available resource relied upon by practitioners across Victoria. It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Chris and Max to the show, and hear about their Lives in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

June 16, 2026Episode 7749 min

Traci Chen

This week, we welcome migration lawyer, principal and founder of Mason Chen Lawyers, Traci Chen. As you’ll hear today, Traci is a natural entrepreneur. While studying law, she built and sold a successful solar panel business, purchased her first home at just 19, and over the past five years has grown Mason Chen Lawyers from a sole practice operating out of her home office into a firm with more than 80 employees. Traci has also used social media to extraordinary effect, building a powerful platform to communicate with current and prospective clients and grow her business. She has more than a quarter of a million followers on TikTok and an even larger audience on Instagram. It’s a fantastic conversation, and a real pleasure to hear about Traci’s Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

June 3, 2026Episode 761 hr 0 min

Ross Guenther APM

This week, we welcome former Deputy Commissioner of Victoria Police, Ross Guenther APM. Across a 40-year career with Victoria Police, Ross held a wide range of roles, from frontline policing and training, to establishing the newly formed Counter Terrorism Command in 2015, and ultimately serving as Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety and Security. But before entering the police academy, Ross had an entirely different career - as a professional musician. He played in the house bands of television programs at the ABC and Channel 9, supported some of the biggest acts in Australia, and performed alongside legendary international artists including Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner and Barry White. It’s a fascinating conversation, and a real pleasure to hear about his Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

May 20, 2026Episode 751 hr 3 min

The Hon. Lex Lasry AM KC

This week, we are delighted to welcome The Hon. Lex Lasry AM KC, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and current Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Lex is one of Australia’s most recognisable criminal lawyers, a leading barrister at the Victorian Bar prior to his appointment to the bench, and a long-time opponent of the death penalty. He is also known for his pursuits beyond the law, including car racing, playing the drums, and, in his early years, a keen interest in becoming a dairy farmer. It’s a fantastic conversation, and a real pleasure to hear about his Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au

May 6, 202647 min

Adam Deacon (2023)

Today we revisit our conversation with Forensic & Child Psychiatrist Dr Adam Deacon. Throughout his career Adam has worked in many areas of the justice system including with adult inmates in prison, youth in the juvenile justice system, writing psychiatric court reports for both defence and prosecution and when we recorded with him in 2023, working at the Youth Forensic Specialist Service with Alfred Health. All this along with a thriving private practice! Adam brings a fascinating lens to Lives in the Law and it’s a pleasure to have him on the show. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast www.themelbournemap.com.au