Faces in the law‘Faces in the law’ asks local local practitioners to provide information about themselves, their careers, their life outside the law.

Lisa O’Donoghue - Minter Ellison - Darwin

Brief career history...Graduated from Batchelor of Laws at Charles Darwin University (formerly Northern Territory University) in 2002. In my final year of study I worked as a round clerk for Markus Spazzapan. Completed articles with Morgan Buckley in 2003.Looking to expand my experience and exposure to larger commercial transactions, I commenced employment with Minter Ellison June 2004 and was promoted to Associate in January 2005. Since j oining Minters, I have practised in property, commercial law and resources.I was president of NT Y oung Lawyers for the past two years. While I was president, NT Young Lawyers held the inaugural NT Golden Gavel competition and sent the winner to represent the Northern Territory to the national golden gavel competition. The Young Lawyers also participated in Law Week and held the great debate.I was elected as a Law- Society Councillor in 2006. Since becoming pregnant last year, I have not stood for re-election on those committees, but I remain on the Law Society sub-committees and I am a committee member of the Darwin Turf Club. I am involved in volunteer w'ork with the Red Cross.

What motivated you to start working in the legal profession?I never intended to practice law, rather economics was my primary interest. However, it became clear during my studies that the law was what really held my interest and not economics. An even greater twist was I never intended to be a commercial lawyer, I was interested in crime.So now I am a commercial lawyer working in a corporate firm and thriving on the excitement of negotiating and drafting large commercial deals. One might say I did not consciously motivate myself to be ‘in the legal profession', but rather a series of life's events and the mentors I have been fortunate enough to encounter have guided and inspired me along the way to where my career is now'.

A year passed, then two and like many others who have established a life in the Territory, I remained. Eight years have now passed and I was married in the Territory (my husband and I wanted all our family and friends to come to the NT to experience the Territory in July), bought a house and have a Territorian daughter.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?The best thing about living and working in the Territory' is the experience you can gain as a junior lawyer and the work you are exposed to early in your career. The legal fraternity in Darwin is small and social and Friday drinks are always fun.The worst think about living and working in the Territory is the build up and the build down!

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?I would make every one plant native fauna. I would have open spaces and residential gardens throughout the world (where possible) plant native fauna so wildlife and suburbia could co exist.

What is your greatest achievement?Boxing Day this year I gave birth to my daughter Molly. This would have to be my greatest achievement yet and the birth of Molly has completed and enhanced my w orld in ways I would have never imagined. The birthing process has given me a new found respect for what mothers for centuries have endured and a strength that 1 did not think I was capable of.

What are your hobbies?Molly, reading, walking my dogs, temiis, travel, horse riding and racing.

Flow long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?I have been residing in the Territory pennanently since 1999. I came to study law and see the northern part of Australia for what I thought would be one or two years.

Describe your perfect weekend.Now that Molly is the new addition in my life I am not sure what my perfect weekend will be. Previously, it would have entailed a nice bottle of wine, seeing friends and a good book (especially if it is raining).continued page 24...

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Faces in the law cont...What are you most passionate about?Environmental sustainability and all of us doing our part to ease the burden on the environment. Personally, I have a garden that attracts native wildlife and is home to frogs, snakes and many lizards and birds. Also, I am obsessive about recycling.

What was the last book you read?Kiran Desai -The Inheritance of Loss

What is your favourite movie?Shawshank Redemption or White Fang

What was the last CD you bought?Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope

What is your favourite holiday destination and why?The world. I love travelling and going to new7 places. I always appreciate and enjoy each place that I visit and take the good and bad memories with me whenJohn Reeves QC - Barri

at William Forster Chambers - Darwin

Brief career historyIn 1970 I started the old five years articles system through the Queensland Solicitors Admission Board. I was admitted as a solicitor in Brisbane in early March 1975 and started my first job as a solicitor in Alice Springs about a week later. Four months after that I found myself in partnership with Paul Everingham and Peter Floward.

I go home. I very rarely long to go back to a place that I have travelled, how'ever I do dream of going back to Nepal to again trek the Annapurna Ranges. The scenery is stumiing and the Nepalese delightful, a wonderful adventure to be had in Nepal.

Describe your perfect meal.I love food and I could not possibly only have one perfect meal. However, a perfect meal is one prepared by a talented chef, where there is a fabulous wine list in the company of good friends. What meal then wouldn’t be perfect?

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...Prior to pregnancy a Shaw and Smith sav blanc, or vodka lime and soda.

Three words that describe who you areGregarious, fair and friendly.

I did a brief stint in politics in the early 80s as the NT’s member in the Flouse of Representatives. When I lost the 1984 election to my former legal partner Paul Everingham, I decided that the Bar was the best place for me, so I joined the Darwin Bar in early 1985 and I have been here since - 22 years and counting. I was appointed a silk in 1997.

What motivated you to start working in the legal profession?I could say "the pursuit of truth and justice etc etc etc... ” but the honest answer is that it is so long ago -1 first started working in legal offices 37 years ago - that I cannot honestly say I remember.

How long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?The usual "gotcha” story - I came to the Territory intending to spend about a year here and then travel overseas and that was 32 years ago.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?The best is the people - that certain something that infects almost everyone who has spent any time here.

The worst is the weather at the peak of the build up - by my measure that usually occurs at around Melbourne Cup day each year.

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?Having spent some time in politics I know how naive this is, but I would require the world's nations to divert their spending on anns - estimated at $1000 billion last year - to eradicating child poverty. It is estimated that only 5 percent of that sum per annum over the next decade would achieve that result! A further 5 percent per annum over the same period would provide an education for every child on earth!

What is your greatest achievement?The positive answer is rearing three happy and healthy children - however, most of the credit for that must go to their mother. The negative answer is managing to avoid a life in politics.

What are your hobbies?Golf, the odd day at the races.

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Describe your perfect weekend.Start with a few early morning laps at Parap pool, then a leisurely breakfast in the Mall, an afternoon at Fannie Bay races where I win enough to shout a group of friends to dinner at Chars or Hanuman. On Sunday, a lazy morning reading the weekend papers and listening to music, a round of golf in the afternoon where I break my handicap and reading myself to sleep on Sunday night, with the knowledge that Monday is a public holiday and I can repeat Sunday all over again.

What are you most passionate about?When I was young and brash I did not ever think these words would fall from my lips but here they are: my two grand kids. Flopefiilly there will be many more. When the first one came along Tom Pauling told Barb that "grandchildren are the reward you get for not killing your own kids”. As always, Tom is right.

foreign policy needs to change dramatically.

What is your favourite movie?Any Monty Python movie, "The Life of Brian” is probably the pick.

What was the last CD you bought?1 usually buy a bundle of 3 or 4 every 6 months or so, I think the best of the last bundle was Paul Kelly's "Foggy Flighway”.

What is your favourite holiday destination andwhy?The next one - the south of France for the Rugby World Cup in September this year.

Describe your perfect meal.I like most food so it is almost impossible to single out one meal.

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a?A chilled glass of a crisp Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region.

Brief career history...1 commenced my legal career as a Judges' Associate for the Flonourable Justice Steven Bailey in 1997 and completed my six months articles of clerkship with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Southern Region in Alice Springs.I was admitted to practice to the NT Supreme Court on 1 December 1998. I then worked for a four month period as a Solicitor with Domestic Violence Legal tJelp and then as a Summary Prosecutor with the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions, Northern Region in Darwin for a period of approximately 13 months.In June 2000 I commenced working in my current position as Legal Officer with the Aboriginal Land Division of the then Attorney-General' s Department (renamed Department of Justice after the ALP Government came into power in 2001). Ever since then I have been working in Aboriginal Land Rights and Native Title (including for a short stint with a private law firm in Perth in 2005) apart from a three month period with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure during early 2006.

What motivated you to start working in the legal profession?From around eight years of age, I would promise

How long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?I was bom, bred and educated in Darwin (including my higher education). I have lived here all my life,

continued page 26...

What was the last book you read?I try to rotate between fiction and non fiction. The most recent fiction is "Saturday” by Ian Me Ew an a story about a day in the life of a London neurosurgeon - it may sound boring but I found it a great read.And non fiction: "After The Neocons” by Francis Fukuyama - a confession by a leading US neocon that tlie war in Iraq has been a disastrous decision and US

Kalliopi (Poppi) Gatis - Dept of Justice - Darwin

Three words that describe who you are?Three words - try five: "not a grumpy old man”. Those that disagree can do it in 3 by striking out the first two.

my parents that when I grew up I would become a lawyer. From then on, I had no choice, I had to practice law.

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Faces in the law cont...apart from a short stint in Alice Springs in 1998 when I worked with ODPP to complete my articles and in 2005 when I moved to Perth for five months.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?The best thing is the laid back, easy-going lifestyle and being close to my immediate family and very close friends.The worst thing about it is Darwin’s oppressive, suffocating heat experienced during the build up (although I love it when the monsoon hits!).

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?Poverty.

What is your greatest achievement?Purchasing the family home in the very early stages of my legal career.

What are your hobbies?Cooking, cleaning (more of a compulsion than a hobby), keeping fit, Greek dancing, eating out, entertaining friends and family.

Describe your perfect weekend...At home, airconditioning on with heaps of girlie flicks to watch on dvd without interruption (i.e. no harassing phone calls from insistent family members inviting us over for lunch and dinner) with my husband answering my every beck and call!

What are you most passionate about?My husband.

What was the last book you read?Rachel's Holiday, by Marian Keyes.

What is your favourite movie?The BBC production of Pride and Prejudice.

What was the last CD you bought?DJ Crazy Con's hits of 2006 (Greek Music).

What is your favourite holiday destination and why?Anywhere there is a beautiful beach and clear blue ocean where it's safe to swim.

Describe your perfect meal...A great north Indian curry (not too hot) with plenty of naan bread.

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...Midori and Lemonade.

Three words that describe who you areMotivated, passionate and outgoing.

In the heat of the night

The Territory Opposition is demanding increased police patrols on the streets of Alice Springs following two separate gang assaults on local kids in one night.

"The unprovoked attacks on local kids on a night out shows the situation has got out of hand,” Leader of the the Opposition, Jodeen Camey said.

"The Martin Government needs to put more police on the beat in Alice Springs.”

"The anger that people are expressing to me about the continual violence on the streets of Alice Springs has the potential to boil over.

"If the Martin Government provided an adequate police presence on the streets there would be no talk of residents setting up vigi­lante groups.

"People want to see fully trained police officers patrolling the streets.

"Local residents shouldn't even have to consider taking the law into their own hands to protect themselves, their children and their property.

"It's not good enough having only two police cars patrolling Alice Springs on a Saturday night and how often has the mobile police van been out and about?

"Thirty years ago the presence of two police cars might have been enough but Alice has grown a lot since then.

"It is a core responsibility of Government to keep our streets safe and the Martin Govern­ment is failing dismally on that score.

"People just don't feel safe anymore and that is a reflection of the growing crime rate that plagues Alice Springs and indeed all of the Territory.

"Last year, Territorians suffered a 12 percent increase in both crimes against the person and crimes against property.

"That trend won't be reversed until we get extra police on the beat.”

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Faces of the Secretariat

How much do you really know about the staff at the Law Society Secretariat? Well, now’s your chance to find out.

Josephine Stone - Professional

Standards and EthicsBrief career historyIn law; private practice in Melbourne, Alice Springs and Darwin, a brief stint at AGS, 10 years at NTLAC and now7 Ethics Officer at Law Society.

Outside law; wife, mother, political cohort, company director.

What motivated you to start working in the legal profession?I didn't know any better.

How long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?21 years. The weather.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?The people. Ditto.

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?I'd always know what the winning tattslotto numbers were.

What is your greatest achievement?Surviving.

What are your hobbies?Yoga. Shopping. Late night movies. Star Trek.

Describe your perfect weekend.In bed, with champagne and chocolate, watching old movies.

What are you most passionate about?French champagne.

What was the last book you read?A novel about vampires.

What is your favourite movie?Rocky Horror Picture Show.

What was the last CD you bought?II Divo.

What is your favourite holiday destination andwhy?Home. It meets all my requirements and I like my fellow guests.

Describe your perfect meal.One that I haven’t cooked, with wine.

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...French Champagne, of course.

Three words that describe who you are Working on it.

Melissa Fleming - Front Office Manager

Brief career historyRetail, Administration, Beauty Therapist

Flow long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?Since I was 6 months old, I had to come - my parent's wouldn't let me stay.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?I love our weather, and how small Darwin is, it’s a lot easier to keep in touch with people.

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?Animal Cruelty

What is your greatest achievement?Buying my first house

What are your hobbies?Riding my bike, Spending time with family, Shopping with girlfriends

Describe your perfect weekend.Spending the weekend watching movies with my partner.

What was the last book you read?My Certificate III training guide, if that counts.

What is your favourite movie?Dirty Dancing

What was the last CD you bought?Pink - I’m not dead

What is your favourite holiday destination andwhy?Fiji, I’m looking forward to going there for my honeymoon

Describe your perfect meal.Steak, chips and salad continued page 24...

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Faces of the Secretariat cont...After a long week at w ork it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...Vodka lemon lime and bitters

Three words that describe who you areOut spoken, Outgoing, Social

Charlene Norton - Receptionist

Brief career historyI have been in hospitality for 12 years w here I have done everything from cooking, waitress and bar and have also been a Supervisor and Manager. But have recently received a business traineeship with the Law Society.

Flow long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?I have been living in the territory for about three months and loving it.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?I think the best thing about living in the Territory is that there are some great opportunities for getting started in a career that I haven't found in some other states. The worst thing is that I am so far away from my family.

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?World Peace (hehe). No, the way people think. A lot of people judge before knowing all the facts, I even do it sometimes myself. I think if you are going to have strong opinions about things you should make sure you have all the facts and that they are right.

What is your greatest achievement?I think that is yet to come.

What are your hobbies?Fishing, hanging out with friends and family, music and getting away for a couple of days whenever there is an opportunity.

Describe your perfect weekend.An exotic tropical island with my partner. Sand, surf and sun -1 think wraps it up

What are you most passionate about?Living life to the fullest. As it’s better to regret the things you have done than the things you haven't. Otherwise your just left wondering WHAT IF!!

What was the last book you read?A girl with a pearl earring

What is your favourite movie?Too many to choose from I can’t just pick one.

What was the last CD you bought?Lee Kemaghan

What is your favourite holiday destination andwhy?An extension of my perfect weekend, the longer the better

Describe your perfect meal.Good food, good wine, good people and some interesting conversation

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...Bourbon and coke, short glass, filled with ice and a dash of coke!!

Three words that describe who you are...Flonest, fun and outspoken

Christine Heatherington-

Tait, Professional Development Officer

Brief career historyPrior to the Law Society, I was a TAFE teacher for eight years in Business Admin/Computers, dabbled a bit in my own business and I have been with the Law Society since moving back to the Territory in January 2005.

How long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?This time we have been here for two years, we have lived here before for six years. Hubby's work brought us here but it was my decision to make the move -1 just love the place.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?Best thing is you are away from the family politics, the worst thing is you are away from the family politics.

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?I'll be deep here, companies who spend all that money on advertising during half time in the finals of the football (or other sport) should be made to give dollar for dollar to charity.

What is your greatest achievement?I'll be all mushy here and say my kids, because it’s true.

What are your hobbies?Reading, spending time with friends & family, watching movies

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Describe your perfect weekend.Anything that involves relaxing, socializing with friends, some good food and some good wine.

What are you most passionate about?Drink driving, the prevention of

What was the last book you read?Magical Thinking, Augusten Burroughs

What is your favourite movie?The Big Chill

What was the last CD you bought?My last download was Scissor Sisters

What is your favourite holiday destination and why?Locally it's Umbarwarra Gorge, because it is just picture perfect, plenty to do (if you want) relaxing and private. Otherwise a mini-break in BrisVegas or Melbourne for shopping.

Describe your perfect meal.One where I don’t have to cook or clean

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...Corona or a glass of bubbles ... ..just depends

Three words that describe who you are...Well that would depend on the situation and who is asking

Zoe Malone - Public Relations Officer

Brief career historyStudied PR at RMIT in Melbourne, before a brief stmt working in the PR for Coles Myer Ltd (as it was then). 12 months as an oil and gas pipeline journalist, before joining the Law Society NT as the PR Officer in 2003.

How long have you been in the Territory and what brought you up here?Almost four years - I came up here for work, but found a lot of other benefits along the way.

What is the best, and the worst, thing about living and working in the Territory?Best: the lifestyle and opportunities Worst: the distance from everywhere else

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?For all people to be open-minded and bring tolerance to their negotiations with others, regardless of their differences

What is your greatest achievement?Hopefully it's still to come

What are your hobbies?Reading, going to the movies, cooking, basketball,

soccer, dragon boat paddling and any other sports that I get a chance to try.

Describe your perfect weekend.Drinks on Friday night, followed by dinner at a nice restaurant with friends. A quick trip to the Parap markets on Saturday morning before sitting over breakfast while I read the paper from cover to cover. A spectacular win at soccer in the afternoon, before joining my teammates for a cow party. Up early on Sunday for dragon boat paddling on the harbour before breakfast at Cornucopia before a BBQ around the pool at a friend's house.

What are you most passionate about?Learning new things and challenging myself.

What was the last book you read?Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs. Rude and sometimes extremely inappropriate, but somehow it still managed to make me laugh out loud.

What is your favourite movie?Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

What was the last CD you bought?'Over Time', debut EP for Amy Grossbard

What is your favourite holiday destination andwhy?Wherever is next on the list - variety is the spice of life.

Describe your perfect meal.Cheese and nibbles with a nice bottle of wine (or two) followed by a BBQ (which I don’t have to cook) with salad and fruit salad for dessert.

After a long week at work it is finally Friday, you walk up to the bar and order a...Corona and lime.

Three words that describe w ho you are...Reserved. Independent. Dreamer.

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