Partner Jeremy Leibler features in a new publication from Monash Law, featuring 50 alumni of its half-century-old clinical legal education program.
Described as one of Australia’s most respected corporate lawyers, the interview reveals that Jeremy’s early clinical placement at South-East Monash Legal Service taught him a fundamental rule of being a successful lawyer: always put the client first. “It was a stark reminder what a difference it makes to live in a society where you speak the language, where you are familiar with the rules and where you know people you can turn to for advice.”
The wide-ranging interview explores how the clinical program allowed Jeremy to take the skills he had learned in the classroom into a space where he could make a difference, something he continues to be able to do through Arnold Bloch Leibler’s renowned public interest work.
“The client is often not able to initially articulate what their real underlying interests are, and part of the job of a lawyer is listening and asking your client questions regardless of whether they are a billionaire or someone struggling to find employment … there is absolutely no differentiation between work that is done for a pro bono client and work done for a fee paying client. To see that the law is applied in the same way that we’d apply it for a commercial client is very fulfilling.”
To read the full interview, click here.
