SOUL Annual Conference Overview

The Society of University Lawyers Limited (SOUL) was delighted to welcome delegates to the SOUL 2023 National Conference ‘Capital SOUL – Canberra 2023’.

The SOUL Board and 2023 Conference Local Organising Committee


The SOUL 2023 Annual Conference was held in Canberra at the Kambri Cultural Centre on 2 and 3 November 2023. A copy of the program can be found here.

Program and Presentations

Thursday 2 November 2023

Plenary One: General Counsel panel (SOUL Members only)


Chair: Anna Feros, President of SOUL

Panel Members:
  • Connie Seeto, General Counsel, The University of Queensland
  • Eric Wells, General Counsel and University Secretary, University of Canberra
  • Daniel Bell, General Counsel, The University of Newcastle
  • Nicole Bannerman, General Counsel, Western Sydney University
CPD Category: topic dependent

Plenary Two: Official Opening and Keynote Address


Chair and Official Opening: Anna Feros, President of SOUL

Welcome to Country: Paul Girrawah House JP

Keynote Address: Professor Brian P Schmidt AC FAA FRS, Vice Chancellor, ANU; Winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics

Plenary Three: A guide to AI for University Counsel


Chair: Bradley Urban, Director, Legal Services (Research & Commercialisation), Monash University

Presenters:
  • Anthony Willis, Partner, Maddocks - presentation
  • Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law, University of Melbourne
  • Tom Chan, PhD Candidate, Australian National University
  • Deborah Hook, Office of the Counsel General, The University of Sydney
Presented by Platinum Sponsor, Maddocks
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable

Concurrent Session One

Investing in IP: the changing landscape of university commercialisation and the Role of Legal


Chair: Karelia Lynch, Principal Legal Counsel, Australian National University

Presenters:
  • Aaron Mentha, Director, and Joseph McCarthy, Director, Aspen Legal;
  • Jane Malloch, General Counsel, UniQuest
  • Mike Clarke, Director of IP, Research and Commercial Law, University of Sydney
Presented by Bronze Sponsor, Aspen Legal
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable

Disability discrimination: Access, inclusion and adjusting expectations


Chair:Anya Aidman, Senior Legal Counsel, Australian National University

Presenter: Jacqui Seeman, Partner, Thomson Geer - presentation


Presented by Silver Sponsor, Thomson Geer
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
Registered WA CPD Provider

Plenary Four: Australian Universities Accord


Chair: Deanna Apostolopoulos, Lawyer, The University of Melbourne

Presenters:
  • Kylie Diwell, Partner, Harriet Eager, Partner, and Tom Fletcher, Partner, MinterEllison
  • Michael Wells, Founding Director, Wells Advisory

Presentation

Presented by Bronze Sponsor, MinterEllison
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
Registered WA CPD Provider

Conference Dinner Speaker


Dinner Speaker: Steph Tisdell*
* Arrangements were made through Celebrity Speakers



Friday 3 November 2023

Concurrent Session Two

Operationalising privacy within an Australian University


Chair: Alison Tibell, Acting Deputy General Counsel, Australian National University

Presenters:
  • Sofia Bradshaw, Partner, and Sarah Gilkes, Partner, Hamilton Locke
  • Victoria Yantsch, Deputy General Counsel, Griffith University
  • Emily Kelly, Information and Regulatory Lawyer, University of Southern Queensland
Presented by Bronze Sponsor, Hamilton Locke
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
Registered WA CPD Provider

Managing psychosocial risks in the workplace and other key WHS changes


Chair:Jane Beaumont, General Counsel and Executive Director Legal and Risk, University of Tasmania

Presenter:Dale McQualter, Special Counsel, Maddocks - presentation


Presented by Platinum Sponsor, Maddocks
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable

Concurrent Session Three

Fair Work Act changes to fixed term contracts: Impacts in the university sector


Chair: Sue Galbraith, Senior Legal Counsel, Australian National University

Presenter: Jennifer Wyborn, Partner, Clayton Utz - discussion paper - presentation


Presented by Bronze Sponsor, Clayton Utz
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
Registered WA CPD Provider

Integrity Commissions and their application to universities


Chair: Amy McCudden, Deputy General Counsel, Australian National University

Presenters: Emma Lawrence and Rebekha Pattison, King & Wood Mallesons - presentation


Presented by Bronze Sponsor, King & Wood Mallesons
CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
Registered WA CPD Provider

Concurrent Session Four

Legal Innovation on a Shoestring


Chair: Anna Feros, Director, Legal Services (Research), QUT; President of SOUL

Presenters:
  • Deborah Hook, Director, Legal Operations, University of Sydney
  • Katherine Worcester, Continuous Improvement Lead, University of Melbourne
  • Jackson Pilkington, Legal Operations Manager, UNSW - presentation
CPD Category: 2 (Practice management)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable

Student Litigation 2023: Three recent cases


Chair: Amy McCudden, Deputy General Counsel, Australian National University

Presenters: Helen Fleming, Director Principal, HF Associates Pty Ltd - presentation


CPD Category: 4 (Substantive law)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable

Plenary Five: Ethics: Learnings from Robodebt for in-house counsel


Chair: Kerry Lang, Legal Counsel, Australian National University

Presenter: Sarah Byrne, Legal Consultant
CPD Category: 1 (Ethics)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable

Plenary Six: Wellbeing in Law


Chair: Alison Tibell, Acting Deputy General Counsel, Australian National University

Presenter: Scott Pearsall, University Registrar, Australian National University - presentation


CPD Category: 2 (Practice management)
WA CPD Contact: Not applicable
 * CPD category and points value are indicative. Attendees are responsible for allocating and recording CPD activities according to their applicable individual Law Society requirements.

SPONSORS

Thank you to our generous sponsors who supported the SOUL Conference 2023.

Platinum

Maddocks


Silver

Thomson Geer


Bronze

Aspen Legal

Clayton Utz

King & Wood Mallesons

Hamilton Locke

Minter Ellison


Past Conferences

Click on Member Login at the top left of this page to access the Members Only area of this website and the conference presentations/papers from past conferences and webinars. Your username to login is the email address you supplied on your membership application (usually your university email address).