I still remember running a “simple withdrawal” against a barrister with only five minutes’ notice (no exaggeration) while I was still in a graduate program. It was a baptism by fire.

My first real role was with a Royal Commission, where I had my first taste of large-scale eDiscovery — and loved it, though I didn’t have the language for it yet. Legal operations wasn’t a term I had even heard of. That exposure deepened when I moved into class actions, again working in eDiscovery and becoming a power user and internal consultant for government. At the same time, I tried to keep up the more traditional junior lawyer work — but always felt I was missing out on something.

After about five years, I became a mum and returned to private practice (a space I had vowed never to revisit). This time it was different. I worked with great people, in a supportive culture, with solid technology. But I quickly realised commercial litigation wasn’t my calling. I moved into plaintiff work, which was incredibly rewarding but ultimately not sustainable. What struck me most was how much technology was still lagging across litigation practice, even though I could see how transformative it could be.

Throughout my career, I’ve burnt out more than once. Some of that was likely connected to undiagnosed neurodivergence. But much of it came down to the way the legal profession — and knowledge work more broadly — is structured. The system itself is not sustainable. And that was before AI entered the picture post-2022.

This space grew out of a simple but persistent question:

What would it look like if law, government, and technology were designed to support people — not exhaust them?

The Sustainable Brief is where I explore that question.

Here, I write about:

• Reform — how legislation and systems can evolve to be more responsive, ethical, and effective.

• Technology — especially AI, and how to use it responsibly, with integrity and care.

• Wellbeing — because the legal profession cannot thrive if the people within it are burning out.

This isn’t just commentary. It’s an invitation: to imagine a profession and a public sector that values both outcomes and the people who deliver them.

If you’re curious about what law could look like when it’s innovative, sustainable, and human-centred — you’re in the right place.

Welcome. I am so glad you are here.