Leadership for Lawyers

An Executive Leadership Short Course, specifically aimed at exploring the core values and attributes essential for success as a legal leader.

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Overview

Welcome to the Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession's flagship Leadership for Lawyers - Executive Course 2026.

A leadership course tailored for the legal profession across firms, industry and government.

The legal landscape is evolving. Lawyers today are expected to do more than provide legal advice. They are expected to lead.

Leadership for Lawyers is a two-day executive course designed for legal professionals who are stepping into or already have leadership roles.

Whether you work in a law firm, an in-house legal team, the public sector or a regulatory environment, this practical, research-based course gives you the tools and insight to lead effectively in complex and fast-changing workplaces.

Led by experienced facilitators and legal professionals, the program blends proven leadership frameworks with honest discussions and peer learning. It provides real-world insight into the challenges and opportunities of legal leadership today.

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What you’ll gain:

Leadership frameworks designed specifically for legal professionals, including decision-making, influence, ethical leadership and resilience.
Practical strategies for leading teams, managing change and building high performance.
Personal reflection tools to help you lead with clarity, confidence and purpose.
A peer network of legal leaders from a range of organisations and sectors.
Guest speakers who will share their own leadership journeys and lessons.

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Who should attend:

Lawyers in management, people leadership or strategic roles.
In-house counsel looking to increase their leadership capability.
Government or regulatory lawyers managing teams or projects.
Senior associates, GCs or partners wanting to strengthen their leadership approach.
Lawyers preparing to step into leadership roles and looking to build confidence and capability early.

Participants come from a wide range of legal roles and organisations.

Course Info

View our 2026 program outline and facilitators

Details
Course outline
Facilitators
Special Guest Keynote

Date and Time:

Two-day intensive program: Thursday 10 and Friday 11 September 2026��+ Pre-reading and reflection

Day One: 9am – 4:30pm, followed by debrief and networking

Day Two: 9am – 4:20pm, followed by debrief

Location:

Hosted at 91ɫ��Ƭ CBD Campus, 210 George St, Sydney

1. Understanding Legal Leadership

The evolving legal landscape: disruption, innovation and new ways of working
Leadership in complexity: what makes legal leadership uniquely challenging
Research-based models of leadership and how they apply in legal settings

2. Self-Leadership and Leading High-Performing Individuals

Understanding lawyer personalities: strengths, blind spots and leadership potential
Core leadership competencies: adaptability, collaboration, communication and EQ
Leading sustainable high performance in legal teams
Motivation, performance dialogue and accelerating expertise

3. Leadership, Culture and Team Dynamics

Leading across generations and supporting wellbeing in legal workplaces
Practical strategies for cultivating team cohesion and firm-wide culture
Case studies in leadership, psychological safety and trust in high-performing teams

4. Practising, Managing, Leading (The PML Trilemma)

Balancing the competing demands of practice, people management and leadership
Common traps for new leaders and how to avoid them
Aligning personal leadership goals with organisational responsibilities

5. Adaptive Leadership and the Legal System

Adaptive challenges in the legal context: disruption and change
Leading complex dynamics: authority relationships
Working with competing commitments: dissent in the system
Building adaptive skills: symptoms, causes and intervention

Chief Potential Officer, Morph Co

Adaptive Leadership Specialist and Director of To the Point Communications

Prof. 91ɫ��Ƭ Law & Director, Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession

Dr. Felicity Bell

Deputy Director, Centre for the future of the Legal Profession

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Senior Research Associate, Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession

Shannon Finch

Shannon Finch joined Westpac in November 2021 as a Group Executive and leads Westpac’s global legal function. She is the executive sponsor of the RESPECT Employee Advocacy Group, focused on domestic and family violence‑related issues, the executive sponsor for Westpac’s Walk for a Cure initiative, and an executive mentor for the Generation Valuable program.

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Shannon began her legal career at the Commonwealth Attorney‑General’s Department in Canberra before joining Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now Mallesons) where she practised in litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets for 25 years across Canberra, London and Sydney, including serving as Head of the Sydney office. Following her time at Mallesons, she joined global corporate law firm Jones Day as a Senior Partner in its mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and financial markets practices, based in Sydney.

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Shannon is an executive member of the Business Law Executive Section of the Law Council of Australia and chaired the Corporations Committee from 2018 to 2021. She has extensive experience as a non‑executive director, including as former Deputy Chair of Forward Ability Support. Reflecting her strong commitment to philanthropy and the arts, Shannon is currently a Director of Bell Shakespeare. She is also a member of the AICD Law Committee, Chief Executive Women Australia, and the Australian Corporate Counsel GC100, and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

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Shannon has been widely recognised by industry awards, including Australasian Lawyer’s Most Influential Lawyers (Changemaker and Corporate Lawyer of the Year), the Legal 500 GC Powerlist, Best Lawyers Australia (GC of the Year), and Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards (GC of the Year) (2025).