Disrupting Tradition Innovative Strategies in Family & Estate Law
Keynote Speaker – Collaborative Stream
The Honourable Justice – Federal Court of Australia
Justice Needham graduated with Arts and Law (Hons) degrees from UNSW and UTS and was called to the NSW Bar in 1990, practising at 13th Floor St James’ Hall Chambers. She was appointed Senior Counsel in 2004 and joined the Federal Court bench in July 2024, later receiving a Doctorate of Laws (honoris causa) from UTS in 2025.
Her practice focused on succession, equity, trusts, administrative and revenue law, and she appeared in several Royal Commissions and inquiries. She also acted as a mediator and trained as a Collaborative Practitioner in wills and estates.
Justice Needham served as a Judicial Member and Deputy President of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal (2002–2011) and as President of the NSW Bar Association (2014–2015). She has long championed flexibility at the Bar, professional safety, and women’s leadership and mentoring.
Explore how technology, cross-disciplinary teamwork, and global networks are reshaping collaborative law.
Understand the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and preserving the principles that underpin collaborative practice.
Gain insights into how collaborative law can evolve into a mainstream approach to dispute resolution.
As legal systems face growing pressures of cost, delay, and adversarial culture, collaborative law offers a humane and effective alternative. This keynote looks to the future of collaborative practice, highlighting innovations in technology, cross-disciplinary teamwork, global collaboration, and legal education.
It also examines challenges around accessibility and inclusion, while emphasising the need to stay true to the core values of collaboration. With real-world insights and a strong call to action, the session invites participants to imagine a future where collaborative law becomes a mainstream, sustainable model of dispute resolution.