Shaping Leadership for the Legal Profession of Tomorrow

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The Menzies Foundation, in collaboration with Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics (CAIDE) at University of Melbourne, is proud to announce the release of New Legal Thinking for Emerging Technologies, a pivotal report addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies for the legal profession, drawing on extensive research to provide actionable insights and recommendations to equip lawyers with the skills, knowledge, and frameworks needed to lead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Authored by Dr. Fahimeh Abedi, Research Fellow, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics, University of Melbourne, Professor Tim Miller, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Queensland and Professor Atif Ahmad, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne bring a wealth of expertise to this critical discussion, providing an in-depth analysis of the current state of the legal profession’s engagement with emerging technologies and offer practical strategies to bridge existing gaps.

Read the Report: The New Legal Thinking for Emerging Technologies report is available for download here

The report highlights critical challenges faced by legal professionals in navigating technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data, including:

Regulatory Gaps: A lack of clarity and consistency in laws governing emerging technologies forces lawyers to rely on ad hoc strategies in the absence of precedents or clear directives.

Ethical Complexities: Legal practitioners are increasingly grappling with ethical issues around privacy, data governance, and AI, highlighting the urgent need for robust ethical frameworks.

Collaboration Barriers: Limited interdisciplinary collaboration between legal and technical teams constrains the ability to address complex, tech-driven issues effectively.

Capability Deficits: An absence of structured training programs leaves lawyers underprepared to engage with emerging technologies, impeding their ability to provide strategic counsel.

Reframing Roles: Lawyers must move beyond being seen as risk managers to strategic contributors, actively shaping how technologies are implemented and governed within organisations.

Recommendations for the Legal Profession
The report emphasises a multi-faceted approach to address the challenges identified:

  • Strengthening legal frameworks to accommodate the pace of technological change.
  • Promoting ethical accountability and awareness in professional practices.
  • Facilitating structured collaboration between legal and technical teams.
  • Implementing targeted education and training programs to build legal-tech literacy and leadership capabilities.

This report reflects the Menzies Foundation’s commitment to building capacity within the legal profession by equipping practitioners with the tools and knowledge needed to address both contemporary and future challenges. Liz Gillies, CEO of the Menzies Foundation, emphasised the importance of this mission;

“Through this collaboration, we reaffirm our dedication to fostering leadership that is prepared to navigate complexity and embrace innovation. Developing resources such as this report, we aim to empower lawyers to become pivotal players in shaping the ethical and strategic integration of technology into society.”

The report also underscores the critical role of the Ninian Stephen Law Program, a key initiative of the Menzies Foundation; championing innovative legal thinking to address complex societal challenges, combining research, education, and collaboration to position the legal profession as a driving force for transformative change in an era of rapid technological advancement.

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Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

LinkedIn | natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au

Sarah Jenkins

Strategic Communications Manager

Sarah has more than 18 years’ experience in communications and marketing leadership across a range of sectors.

Communications strategy and organisational growth is a continuing theme in Sarah’s career. Most recently, she leads the development of a Leadership Movement, evaluated by Menzies Viral Co-efficient Model; a contribution to the NFP. 

Sarah’s early career centred around best practice in marketing and communications which later culminated into the establishment of her very own agency. This work extensively spanned across PR, traditional media, event management, strategy, digital marketing, graphic design and business development consultancy. 

In 2019, Sarah joined the lean and robust team at the Menzies Foundation. She has since crafted the Foundation’s narrative and communication strategy. The development of this strategic communications platform is essential for ‘movement building’ and requires a strong strategic, management and communication skills set. Sarah has brought so much to this important work, which sits at the forefront of communication practice. 

Sarah continues to contribute to the NFP sector through her commitment to Purpose; as she reflects on her own leadership, builds her own leadership capability and contributes to the greater good. 

LinkedIn | sarah.jenkins@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0401 880 071

Rohan Martyres

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Rohan has 15 years’ experience in facilitating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social and health challenges.  He has worked with the World Economic Forum in Australia, led an international conflict resolution field team in Nepal, and directed a 10-year £40m initiative to reduce health inequity in London.

Most recently, Rohan was Major Grants Development Manager at the Ian Potter Foundation.  He refined the foundation’s major grants strategy, and co-developed a series of large scale initiatives, including joint philanthropic-government funding for a new national organization to support place-based approaches across Australia.

Rohan has held several non-executive roles, including with an international NGO and with London Funders, the peak body of independent foundations in London.  He holds several qualifications including a graduate degree in innovation and strategy from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

When Rohan isn’t exploring Melbourne’s creeks with his partner and 6yo daughter, he’s working on his currently weak Australian accent (after 15 years in the UK).

LinkedIn | rohan.martyres@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0404 505 954

Trudy Morrison

Operations Manager

A marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience in government, corporate and consumer marketing, Trudy brings her adaptive and organisational project management skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

With a BA degree in Public Relations, Trudy began her career with the City of Melbourne and in magazine publishing, before moving into marketing communications consulting. She has worked in strategic marketing leadership roles with retail brands and enjoys juggling many projects and tasks simultaneously. Her skills were further enhanced when managing her own communications business representing industries across private education, financial services, aviation, government and the health industry. 

Trudy is passionate about leadership and all people being encouraged to reach their full potential through research and educational initiatives and opportunities throughout Australia. A skilled and accomplished writer and editor Trudy is enthusiastic about bringing her variety of skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

LinkedIn | trudy.morrison@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0402 361 878

Liz Gillies

Chief Executive Officer

Liz Gillies has had over 25 years experience in a range of fields focused on initiatives for social impact. She has held roles in multiple sectors and academia.

In 2018, Liz was appointed CEO of the Menzies Foundation which aspires to build a leadership movement that supports Australians to pivot to purpose, build their leadership capability and contribute to the ‘greater good’.

Liz joined the Melbourne Business School in 2009 and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre (APSIC) and The Centre for Ethical Leadership. In November 2011 she was appointed as research fellow to lead a partnership focused on strategic philanthropy which culminated in the release of the reports: Philanthropy: Towards a Better Practice Model (2018) and the Philanthropy: The Continued Journey to Real Impact and better Practice (2021).

Liz has extensive governance experience, having served on the Board of the Publish Galleries Association of Victoria, Social Firms Australia, Uniting Care Community Options, United Way Australia and the Development Committee of the Towards a Just Society Foundation. She is currently on the Philanthropy Reference Group of Barmal Bijiril and a Director of Philanthropy Australia.

LinkedIn | liz.gillies@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0416 112 703

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au