Tasmanian Legal Practice Course

Brisbane, you were wonderfully warm! 🌞

We had a fantastic time attending the Networking and Careers Night and meeting so many enthusiastic law students.

From conversations about PLT and career pathways, to moving to beautiful Tassie.✈️

It was a great opportunity to connect with the next generation of legal professionals. Thank you to everyone who came over for a chat. We loved being part of such a great event!

As you can see, Brisbane got the full dynamic duo experience with Susie back on deck!✨

WHERES SUSIE??? 👀

Emma flying solo at the Deakin Law Students' Society Evening with Industry Professionals Night, but she had a fantastic time connecting with law students and chatting all things PLT, careers and life after law school. ⚖️

It was great to meet so many students eager to learn more about the next steps in their legal journey and the pathways available to becoming a practising lawyer. Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a chat! Emma even spotted a few familiar faces along the way!

We always enjoy the opportunity to support future practitioners and be part of these valuable industry networking events. ✨

✨Graduates of Legal Practice Course 1995 (to celebrate 30 years admission as legal practitioners).✨

• Save the Date: Saturday 5 September 2026
• Tour of Legal Prac before dinner
• Dinner at Ball and Chain Restaurant, Salamanca Place
• Join “Legal Practice Course 1995” page or contact Madeleine Wilson (nee Cox) at [email protected] for more information

Emma and Susie were thrilled to be at the Deakin Law Students' Society Meet the Professionals Networking Night at the MCG recently!

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to tell so many law students what Tassie has on offer when it comes to PLT, a fused profession and employment opportunities.

With such a great response, Emma is looking forward to returning this week for the Evening with Industry Professionals! 🤩

Emma and Susie had a fantastic time at the TULS Careers Fair last week! It was great to connect with so many students, answer your questions, and chat about all things PLT.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by - we loved meeting you and we look forward to seeing many of you next year!

DONUTS AND TLPC! 🍩

Emma and Susie from the Centre for Legal Studies (‘CFLS’) will be coming down to do their annual ‘Donuts & TLPC’ Event!

The Event is an opportunity for law students in all years to chat with Emma and Susie about looking after your health and wellbeing as you navigate the troubles, trials and tribulations that is your future career!

This will also be the opportunity for students to ask Emma and Suise about the legal practice course offered by the university, and what that would entail — this is recommended for penultimate and final year students!

The details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 14 April 2026
Time: 11.00am - 1.30pm
Location: Law Library

We were delighted to host our annual Meet the Profession Cocktail Party on Thursday 19 March, bringing together our trainees and members of the Tasmanian legal community.

The evening provided a valuable opportunity for trainees to connect with members of the legal profession, gain insight into the profession, and begin building the relationships that will support them throughout their careers.

It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces, along with new connections being made in such a welcoming and supportive environment. Events like this are a great reminder of the strength and collegiality of the legal profession in Tasmania.

A sincere thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the evening such a success. 🥂✨

Congratulations to our 2025 graduate Lara. Exciting times ahead! ✈️

Last Friday marked the Opening of the Legal Year. Our trainees attended the church service and judges’ breakfast, which also marked the beginning of the 2026 TLPC.

The day concluded with the Opening of the Legal Year Dinner, bringing together familiar faces from across the profession, including many TLPC graduates. 🥂⚖️

💫Alumni Spotlight – Melissa Lyon💫

💫Favourite Memory from Legal Prac💫

The opportunity to really connect with members of the legal profession including judges, magistrates, barristers, and lawyers. I still recall how generous they were in the way they provided guidance and wisdom whilst also appreciating that we were fresh out of law school and had very little idea of the practical world of practice.

💫Career Journey & Highlights💫

My career path is what some call an ‘alternative’ one. I started on a traditional path as an apprentice at law with Dobson Mitchell Allport and became a partner, specialising in commercial litigation, in 1999. I am forever grateful to Tim Bugg, a truly forward thinking managing partner, who supported me becoming a part time partner straight off parental leave with my first child. That experience has shaped and inspired my commitment to doing what I can to promote flexible work practices and innovative thinking in the legal ecosystem. After a move to Melbourne, I joined Minter Ellison as a Senior Associate in Commercial Disputes, a role that I job shared. I have always been interested in the business and management of law having complete a double major in Administration in my combined degree at the University of Tasmania. In 2004 I moved to a Business Development role at Minter Ellison. This gave me the opportunity to work on client relationships, client pursuits and to help build a sector focus program. In 2014 the legal ecosystem started to hear about progressive New Law Firms with different business models and ways of working. Hive Legal was one of the first New Law firms in Australia and I joined shortly after the firm was founded, inspired by the opportunity to be part of a firm doing things differently. Our firm has worked flexibly for over 10 years with our team having a choice as to where they work (at our office in CBD Melbourne, from home or from another state). At Hive we base our pricing on value rather than time, so we provide true fixed pricing. We do not have time sheets and our team does not have individual fee targets. We also use a design thinking framework, HiveThinkP to help us find ways to improve the experience for our team and our clients. we are a corporate commercial firm, and our clients include flagship Australian companies, government departments, and organisations in highly regulated sectors including energy and climate change, health, and financial services. Working in this type of environment has provided me with the opportunity to be recognised for thinking differently. A couple of highlights include being named Business Development Professional of the Year and Innovator of the Year (Australian Law Awards).

💫Current Role💫

I am the Executive Director and Experience Designer at Hive Legal. I head up our Consulting team which assists our clients and other professional firms to identify, develop and implement innovative ways of thinking, initiatives, and programs. I am committed to sharing our experience at Hive in terms of the way we work, with the broader legal ecosystem to help inspire change. This includes doing what I can to mentor early career lawyers to help them achieve fulfilling careers.

💫Words of advice for those unsure about commencing the TLPC?💫

Having a grounding in the practical side of legal practice provides you with an understanding which will benefit you whatever career path you take in the law.

💫Words of advice for your 1990 self💫

Be curious about the different paths you can take in the law, know your strengths, and play to them. Don’t assume that a traditional career path in the law is the best one for you.

💫Is there anything you would do differently?💫

No regrets but…. I should have connected with and talked to people in the broader legal ecosystem sooner about the many and varied roles you can have in the law.