This past week, several practitioners were referred to regulators for relying on material prepared by AI, and a solicitor sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment was struck off. Here is your weekly round-up of the biggest stories for Australia’s legal profession.
For the week from 1 to 5 December, these were the 10 most-read stories on Lawyers Weekly (in case you missed them):
1. Former lawyer guilty of practising without certificate loses bid to reverse convictions
A former Queensland lawyer has failed to scrap his convictions for assisting a woman with her complaint against one of Australia’s biggest compensation law firms when he was not entitled to do so.
2. Strike off for solicitor who washed blackmail money in trust account
A solicitor jailed for 12 years over his part in a blackmail scheme involving the Plutus Payroll conspirators has been struck off.
3. Winners unveiled for Women in Law Awards 2025
Lawyers Weekly, together with principal partner nrol and The Broker for Lawyers, are thrilled to announce the winners of the Women in Law Awards 2025.
4. Piper Alderman accused of bullying, discrimination by litigation lawyer
Piper Alderman and its national head of litigation have been accused of workplace misconduct, with a former employee alleging she was bullied, discriminated against, and had her workload reduced to nothing.
5. Solicitor, 2 counsel referred to regulator for AI use
A South Australian solicitor and two Victoria-based counsel have been referred to their respective legal regulators for relying on material that was prepared by artificial intelligence.
6. Lehrmann loses bid to overturn rape findings
The Federal Court has upheld a finding that Bruce Lehrmann, on a civil standard of proof, raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.
7. Maddocks adds special counsel from rival national firm
National law firm Maddocks has strengthened its Canberra public law practice with the appointment of a special counsel, who joins from rival firm Mills Oakley.
8. BigLaw partner was ‘mere mouthpiece’ for client on rape allegations, court told
Despite her allegations having already been tossed once before, a mining employee persisted with accusations that a Hall & Wilcox partner did not exercise independent judgement on a rape allegation.
9. Judicial support of Dyson Heydon weakens promises to do better
By helping to rehabilitate disgraced former judge Dyson Heydon, some of Australia’s most senior judicial members have stripped the profession’s commitment to change of any real meaning and contributed to diminishing trust in the administration of justice.
10. Reprimand for principal lawyer for using AI in estate litigation
The principal of a Victorian boutique firm was reprimanded for breaching the Supreme Court’s guidance on the use of generative artificial intelligence in litigation.
