LSB December 2021 HR

Q&A
• Up-skilling lawyers and graduates as
the profession evolves. It is no longer
enough to know the law. You need
to be adequately equipped to provide
excellent service to your clients.
• The retention of women beyond their
early 30s in the law and particularly in
leadership roles.
• Meeting the challenges that have
recently under the spot light
including bullying, harassment and
discrimination within the profession.
What do you see as the key
opportunities for the legal profession?
With the increased reliance on
technology and artificial intelligence our
role as lawyers is less about explaining the
law and more about the journey that our
client experiences throughout their legal
problem. As lawyers we therefore have
great opportunities to be creative and
offer an experience to our clients, not just
an outcome.
What key issues do you think the
Society should be advocating for?
Key issues that I think the Society
should be advocating for include:
• Improved workplaces for lawyers
that address the bulling, harassment,
discrimination and cultural issues that
the profession currently faces.
• The underfunding of the justice
system at state and federal levels.
• The proper funding of the Fidelity Fund.
• Legislative reform to make it faster and
more cost effective for clients in the
legal system.
• Access to Justice.
What advice would you give to
practitioners who are interested
in serving or improving the legal
profession and justice system?
Join a special interest committee of
the Society to test the water and see if
being involved in the society is something
for you. There is such a diverse range of
committees to be involved it.
I also an advocate for practitioners
being kinder to each other. Great
outcomes are achieved for our clients
through respectful dialogue, not big egos
and aggressive communication.
What are some of your interests
outside of the law?
I have a 10 week ago old (at the time
of print) and a toddler both of whom are
keeping me very busy at the moment.
My husband is a winemaker so I
have no choice but to enjoy good food
and wine.
Yoga and gardening are fantastic
antidotes to the busyness that comes with
juggling work and parenting. B
New Adelaide Judge of the
Federal Circuit and Family Court
Dr Anna Parker has been appointed as
a Judge of Division 2 of the Federal
Circuit and Family Court of Australia
(FCFCOA), Adelaide.
Judge Parker graduated with a Bachelor
of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws
(Hons) in 2005 from Monash University.
She has subsequently also completed a
Master of Laws from the University of
Melbourne and a Doctor of Juridical
Science from Monash University.
Judge Parker completed her Articles
of Clerkship at Harwood Andrews
Lawyers and subsequently practised
as a solicitor in the area of family
law at specialist family law firms for
approximately 10 years, including as a
Partner of a family law firm.
Judge Parker was accredited as a Family
Law Specialist by the Law Institute of
Victoria in 2011. She was called to the Bar
in May 2016 and practised as a Barrister
exclusively in family law from 2016 until
her commencement as a Senior Judicial
Registrar and National Operations Judicial
Registrar – Judicial Case Management
with the Federal Circuit and Family Court
of Australia in December 2020. While a
Senior Judicial Registrar with the Court,
Judge Parker was a member of the Rules
Harmonisation Working Group and played
a critical role in the development of the
Court’s new Central Practice Direction
and new case management pathway.
Three recent judicial appointments
to the FCFCOA announced on 26
November are:
• Barrister Richard Schonell SC,
appointed to Division 1 of the
FCFCOA, Sydney
• Barrister Andrew Strum QC,
appointed to Division 1 of the
FCFCOA, Melbourne
• Barrister Dearne Firth, appointed to
Division 2 of the FCFCOA, Brisbane
These appointments follow the
appointment of 11 new judges to the
Court that were announced in October. B
December 2021 THE BULLETIN 13