Liberty Towers’ Post

Mālō e ngāue PILSA! It was a beautiful night on Saturday celebrating the success of our Pacific law students this year, as well as 30 years of the association. As a firm, its been awesome to support a number of student groups this year, including PILSA. It was great to be able to present Faith Tuiloma, one of our MC interns, with her awards. Its been great having you at MC Faith! I was asked to speak on Pacific resilience, and spoke about lalava (the lashing of coconut sinnet) as a representation of Pacific resilience in the Pacific legal community, drawing on Tongan values of faka'apa'apa (respect), fakatokilalo (humility), mamahi'i mea (loyalty), and tauhi vā (building and maintaining relationships) as being key threads which bring us together. As I prepared for the speech, I reflected on the fact that the NZLS snapshot of the profession from 2022, had Pacific lawyers as 3.35% of the overall profession compared our 8% of the total population at that time. Sharing that statistic with the students and their families, I noted a couple of things. First, whilst that is a deficit that needs to be made up - when I looked around the room that night (and think of similar rooms at other universities) I was filled with confidence it would be. But more importantly, rather than look at that figure as a deficit, what I see is the incredible strength and resilience that comes from being part of the Pacific legal community. Because despite our number, Pacific lawyers have achieved incredible things and make a huge contribution to the profession. So in our resilience, lies excellence.

Above all else, be kind. This team has taught me so much about the power of kindness and it’s positive correlation with business wins. It is fallacious that to be a good lawyer (not least, a good litigator), one needs to be consistently aggressive and prioritise thinking over feeling. Some of the best litigators I know have shown me that in as much as we are required to be competitive, perfectionist and ofttimes aggressive, we can still show kindness and lead with respect. These behaviours are not - and shouldn’t be - mutually exclusive. Today we celebrated the departure of our three superstar CAs: Ntsako Mabuza, Justine Subramoney and Anathi Xaba - and welcomed our new CAs: Sivuselele Manzini (who we already know to be a superstar, having worked together last year through some of the toughest months of our careers) and Sakhile Ngobe. We also shared our celebrations with former Social Impact CA, Luthando D. and Kris-Andre Smith, who joins us from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, on a three month public interest learnership programme. As lawyers, we spend most of our adult lives with our colleagues - often skipping out on family events, holidays and other social activities - the very least we can do is be kind to one another, and that is what I will continue to do. #NRF #SocialImpact #PublicInterestLaw #HumanRights #Litigation

Exciting new position

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve recently completed my Master's degree in International Commercial Law from the University of Salford. It has been an incredible journey of learning and growth, and I am excited to apply my newfound knowledge and skills in the field. Special thanks to my professors @nigel foster @david duffill and peers for their support throughout this educational endeavor. Here's to the next chapter in my career! #ProudAlumni #InternationalCommercialLaw #UniversityofSalford .

If we are to reshape our industry and broaden access to legal careers we need to engage at all levels. Tomorrows solicitors and legal professionals are here now and we're helping inspire them. Well done Glenn Weir for hosting this session! #pwcuk #QUB #legalgrads #mentoring

🌟 Explore ARU London's insightful blog post addressing the question: Is a law degree worth it? Discover the benefits explained: ⚖️ Gain valuable insights into the advantages of pursuing a law degree, including diverse career opportunities in legal professions, government, business, and advocacy roles. 💼 Explore how a law degree equips you with critical thinking, research, and analytical skills, essential for navigating complex legal landscapes and making informed decisions. 🌍 Learn about the societal impact and opportunities for social justice advocacy that a law degree can provide, contributing to positive change and legal reforms. 🚀 Unlock a deeper understanding of the tangible benefits and long-term advantages of investing in a law degree for your personal and professional growth. 🔗 Dive into the detailed discussion here: https://ow.ly/l8j250RFCVi #LawDegree #CareerBenefits #LegalProfessions #ARULondon

Surely Big Law South Africa needs to do better! I shared a post on a similar topic yesterday, looking only on the negative side of this. The post was a reflection from conversations I had in December 2023. The experience shared below by Rorisang Mzozoyana is from over 10 years ago. (I simply reference her post in so far as it speaks about lack of training and support in Big Law and the effect thereof) This means that if you were in a position to do better in 2023 and didn’t, about 10 years ago you potentially had a similar experience or at the very least saw others go through a similar experience (ie. lack of training and support). Perhaps it’s time to break the cycle? The success of a junior does not take anything away from their senior/leader. A successful, competent attorney is an asset to the firm/company and the profession at large. And no, training and support does not have to be unkind, rude, toxic or otherwise. It can definitely be humane, gracious and intentional. Most importantly, training black talent does not take away anything from anyone. It simply makes us part of a transforming, just society. #BuildingYoungLawyers

We’re proud to share that all three directors of the Holloran Center have been recently featured in the news for their scholarship and expertise!  Jerry Organ, Associate Director of the Holloran Center, earned recognition as one the “Top 20 Most Influential People in Legal Education” by the The National Jurist. Organ has been making major strides to advance professional identity formation and well-being for law students: https://lnkd.in/eUc8iKuk   More details on this nomination are forthcoming upon the release of the National Jurist’s spring edition.  -  Neil Hamilton, Founding Director of the Holloran Center, was featured in the winter edition of the The National Jurist. The article “What best prepares you for the practice of law?” by Sherry Karabin discusses the importance of experiential education. In this article, Hamilton is quoted regarding methods that encourage the thoughtful development of professional identity: “We think it’s…important that…educational experiences are coordinated in a progressive engagement of guided reflection over three years with the help of faculty and staff coaches.”  -  Co-Director of the Holloran Center, David Grenardo, was interviewed by USA TODAY about the history of nepotism in the NFL prior to the 2024 Super Bowl: https://lnkd.in/evDf_Rvi Drawing from his expertise in Sports Law, Grenardo highlights the contradiction between the perception of competitive sports as meritocratic with the reality of predetermined ownership structures:   “[S]ports is supposed to be a meritocracy...The best players play on the team, and the team that plays the best wins. Meritocracy, however, applies to players, not ownership or coaching.”    #ustlawmn #legalethics #civility #civilitymatters #legalconduct #legalawards #lawschool, #lawstudents, #legal, #legalfield, #professionalism, #professionalidentity 

It was a distinct honor to participate in the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS seminar in Geneva, where I was selected as one of the arbitrators. This remarkable event provided an opportunity to connect with over 300 arbitrators from across the globe. In every role I undertake, whether domestically or internationally, I adhere to three fundamental principles: 1. My Heritage: I take great pride in my family, culture, and national identity. 2. My Law Firm: The founding of Harfouche & Saad in 2008, alongside Labib and Reem Harfouche, has been a pivotal chapter in my professional life. 3. My Academic Role: My commitment to legal education is exemplified in my role as Dean of the Faculty of Law at Université La Sagesse. My dedication to the CAS esteemed mission is unwavering, underpinned by a commitment to ethical professional conduct. My aim is to guide the next generation in the field of sports law, dedicating myself to helping them realize their professional aspirations. #CASseminar #ArbitrationExcellence #GlobalConnections #Legal #SportsLaw #ProfessionalEthics #HeritagePride #LawFirm #AcademicCommitment #LegalEducation #Dean #NextGenLeaders #CareerAspirations #EthicalLeadership #laSagesse #Universitélasagesse #ULS #HARFOUCHESAAD #HS