Back in July, G&B Lawyers found itself embroiled in media headlines after a Facebook post by the firm called on Melbourne residents to defy mandatory mask orders. When the firm found itself in a High Court challenge against the country’s lockdown laws, partner Nathan Buckley encouraged supporters to donate to one of several GoFundMe campaigns.

9. World rankings reveal best universities for Australian law students

In March, the QS World University rankings were released. Eighteen Aussie unis made the cut among the best places for law students to attend, with six making top 50 status. Some of the nation’s top-ranked schools saw their ranking from years past drop, while others dropped out entirely or increased slightly.

8. National firm confirms reductions to salaries

Salary cuts were a big topic in the early stages of lockdown. In April, a piece about Macpherson Kelley’s 20 per cent reduction to principals’ salaries gained particular traction, with the firm asking its top staffers to work five days per week but be paid for four in the three months from the date of implementation. 

7. 2019 earnings: What lawyers were worth and what this means for 2020

Early on in the year, Lawyers Weekly published findings from Beacon Legal’s Private Practice Salary and Market Report, showcasing the average salaries of lawyers at all levels and across many practice areas, showing an increase year-on-year from 2018.

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6. Firm requests 20% cut in salaries for staff earning $65k-plus

Similar to the piece about Macpherson Kelley, this particular story gained traction due to it coming off the back of the lockdown and nationwide COVID-19 restrictions. In April, HopgoodGanim Lawyers requested staff earning above $65,000 per year to accept a 20 per cent salary reduction and proportionately reduce working hours for a period of six months.

5. The pay disparity between boutique and BigLaw starters revealed

For whatever reason, a story published in 2018 went through the roof in reads this year. This piece utilised findings from Gatehouse Legal Recruitment to analyse the difference in pay packets depending on the size of the firm a lawyer works at. 

4. Daniel Andrews hit with multibillion-dollar class action

In September, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was hit with a multibillion-dollar class action suit from businesses affected by the stage 4 COVID-19 lockdown. Damian Scattini, partner at Sydney-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, was dubbed responsible for leading the class action.

3. Law student seeks $64k in damages against admission board

An NSW law student took to the Supreme Court of NSW in May, seeking over $64,000 in damages from the Legal Profession Admission Board over frustrations about his course requirements. He also sought a declaration for the breach of trust because he could not take his law courses in the order he wanted to.

2. ‘Informer 3838’: The real story behind Lawyer X

An analysis piece of Nine’s “Informer 3838” got a whopping amount of reads, with legal professionals keen to understand if the two-part series genuinely broke down the real story behind Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo’s time spent as a human source and informant for Victoria Police. 

1. Premier criticises Melbourne firm for virus outbreak

In what many described as a bold move, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews slammed HWL Ebsworth in July after it was found cases could be traced back to the BigLaw practice, which held two floors in Melbourne’s Collins Street building.