About the project

A legal training and the ability to work as a lawyer are privileges.

Some people on whom those privileges are bestowed choose simply to enjoy them.  Many, however, constantly search for ways to use the privileges of training, skill and status to serve the community.

This project is about pausing to celebrate some of the individuals who have spent "a lifetime" using the law to serve the community, whether that is through public service, education, social justice, or advocacy for the under-privileged. 

As time permits, we will feature a new individual and share two "portraits" of them.  One is a photographic portrait, and the other is a "word portrait", each one seeking to show a different perspective on who they are.

The photographic portraits are by either David Field or Miles Standish, and the word portraits are by Jerome Doraisamy, Emily Ainsworth, David Field or Jack Harrison.

We emphasise that the people we feature in this project have not held themselves out as being in any way special or deserving of accolades.  In fact, we often have to persuade participants that their stories are worth sharing, and so we take responsibility for the judgments we have made around who to feature.

As we embark on the journey that is this project, we have only a rough idea of where we are headed.  Initially, the people featured probably say more about us, who we know, and who they know, rather than being any sort of balanced survey of the profession.  Over time, it is likely that the project will come to lead us, as we explore the concept of community service through law, and find other ways in which people are using their legal training, skill and status to serve. 

The project is genuinely intended to be an interactive conversation, and we invite you to participate to help shape the direction of the project over time.

Acknowledgments

The Lifetimes in Law team would like to thank all of the individuals who have agreed to be featured in the Lifetimes in Law project for making themselves available and indulging us as we photographed them, interviewed them and generally made a nuisance of ourselves.

Thanks also to Isabel Doraisamy for invaluable assistance in logo design and artwork.

Copyright Field, Doraisamy, Ainsworth and Standish 2016-2018