Here at Folklaw we are constantly impressed by the skills, experiences and multiple talents of lawyers we meet. But we have recently been stunned by the skills of a woman at Minter Ellison, who has recently completed a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Vocals at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Incredibly, the multi-tasker obtained a perfect grade point average, while she worked for Minters part-time. Also, her B.Mus apparently serves to complement an earlier first class honours degree in English and Law. Folklaw has to ask, what is she doing in knowledge management? Still, considering her successes, it’s no wonder Minters is trumpeting her successes. This a fragment of the firm’s justifiable applause:

“Former planning lawyer and current Minter Ellison knowledge manager Melissa Forbes will be awarded the Queensland Conservatorium Medal for outstanding achievement this month. Melissa, who abandoned timesheets to pursue her passion for singing in 2000, recently finished a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Vocals.

Throughout her studies, Melissa continued to work part time in Minter Ellison’s Brisbane office as knowledge manager for the insurance & corporate risk group.

Melissa will receive the medal at a graduation ceremony in mid-April. She will also perform at the ceremony.

A highlight of her performing schedule was the opportunity to sing in the world-famous Spiegeltent during last year’s Queensland Biennial of Music. She also sang at the inaugural Valley Jazz Festival in March.

Commenting on her “dual” workload, Melissa said: “Minter Ellison has been incredibly supportive from the moment I decided to pursue an alternative path. I’m grateful that the partners I’ve worked for have respected my decision and been flexible enough to work with it.”

Melissa now plans to give the books a rest. She will focus on writing and recording jazz and soul-influenced material for a debut album, scheduled for release later this year on her own label, Kitten Kong Records.”

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The dangers of sending emails have been well publicised, and were illustrated again recently in the NSW Supreme Court when Justice David Levine awarded Clayton Utz lawyer Brigitte Markovic damages of $232,800 after her defamation action against art dealer Gerrard White over a series of emails he had sent her. The emails were reportedly “nasty”. Levine found that White had exacerbated his defamation by ‘cc-ing’ his own emails to prominent people in public, commercial and cultural life, including a number of lawyers.

Condom courier arrested

A man in the NT who was caught driving without a licence told police he was on an urgent assignment to deliver condoms to his anxiously waiting cousin.

When asked why he was driving without a licence, he replied: “My cousin was about to [make love to] this girl and he needed his bum bag because it had condoms in it”.

Understanding the man’s plight, magistrate David Loadman said: “Carrying condoms to a mate who is in desperate need must be something much better than the good Samaritan ever did”.

“I cannot imagine the scene. This woman, about to embrace passionately, is waiting for the condom arrival. Bizarre in the extreme,” the magistrate added.

He told the 24-year old licence-less driver: “When the Poms ask Australians to define mateship, your circumstances could serve as a very good example”.

Outside the court, the youth said of his cousin: “At least he was practising safe sex. He was being responsible. He got the condoms and I think he had a good night”.