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18 September 2016

From LLB to Parliament – Australia’s Politicians-Turned-Lawyers


Published on 18 September 2016
Australia’s recent change in leadership has set the nation’s eyes on Malcolm Turnbull. Over the coming weeks and months, the newly appointed 29th Prime Minister will reveal his mettle as a national leader. While Mr Turnbull’s leadership style may have yet to reveal itself, his extensive history as a barrister places him in an ever-growing echelon of prominent Australian politicians with legal experience.

Mr Turnbull has worn a plethora of professional hats over the course of his career. Prior to his political service, Mr Turnbull built an impressive career as an investment banker, venture capitalist and entrepreneur. However, it was as a lawyer and a barrister that Mr Turnbull distinguished himself during the early phases of his professional life. Most notably, Mr Turnbull defended Peter Wright, a former MI5 agent and author of the novel Spycatcher – a novel that was facing a suppression of publication from the UK Government. The case was turned down by a number of barristers, but Mr Turnbull’s legal victory ensured the novel could go on to become a bestseller.

Before pursuing other ventures, Mr Turnbull also established the law firm Turnbull McWilliam, but Mr Turnbull is far from the only Australian politician to make a name for themselves in law. Throughout Australia’s relatively short history, Prime Ministers such as Robert Menzies, Gough Whitlam, and Edmund Barton (the latter of whom also served as a founding Justice of the High Court of Australia) all commenced their careers as lawyers – and the trend has certainly not abated over the past 10 years.

Below are three recent politicians who led illustrious (and at times controversial) careers in law before progressing to politics.

Julia Gillard
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard commenced her legal career at the law firm of Slater and Gordon. Here she established a strong reputation as a tough industrial law expert and often worked hand in hand with the unions to address workplace disparities. Her efforts were recognised within three short years after which she was named partner in the firm.

Julie Bishop
“She has a good lawyer’s ability to master a brief very quickly – a handy skill for politics and for foreign policy in particular,” said Malcolm Turnbull of his long-standing colleague.

As well as being current deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop served as the managing partner of the Perth office of law firm Clayton Utz for four years.

It was her time at Clayton Utz that laid the foundation for Ms Bishop’s career in politics. Perth businessman Kerry Stokes has described her role at the law firm as instrumental in shaping her leadership style.

“There’s not much written about what a good executive Julie was – responsible for administering and running a partnership, not just a lawyer,” Stokes told The Australian.

“She took that background into politics. In the legal profession, she was a very determined, reasoned person.”

John Howard
The second longest reigning Prime Minister after Robert Menzies (also a one-time lawyer) John Howard was admitted as a solicitor of NSW Supreme Court in 1962. Like his Liberal Party colleague Ms Bishop, Mr Howard’s legal career is perhaps best marked by his time at Big Six law firm Clayton Utz. However, it was at Stephen, Jacques and Stephen – the firm that would become the nation-spanning King & Wood Mallesons – that Mr Howard found his legal beginnings. Interestingly, due to a hearing impairment developed in his childhood, Mr Howard felt as if a career as a barrister would be unfeasible.