Phillip Johnstone

Experience

• 

  P.A. Johnstone & Co.

  Feb 1996 - Jan 2008

  Attorney
• 

  Nowicki Carbone

  Jan 2008 - Jan 2010

  Solicitor
• 

  Shine Lawyers Ltd

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  Senior Solicitor
• 

  Thomsons Lawyers

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2013

  Senior Associate
• 

  Barrister at the Victorian Bar

  Jan 2013 - now

  Barrister at law

  As a Barrister, I provide specialist legal advice; represent clients in court (as litigation advocate) and prepare written legal advice and submissions on behalf of clients. My role is to "translate" and structure my client's view of events into a legal argument (written or oral) that can be put forward to the judge or jury or specialist tribunal members and to make persuasive representations on my client's behalf to achieve the best possible result.I carry out the following tasks:• advising clients on the law and the strength of their legal case, which often requires considerable amounts of legal research, followed by a written advice or 'opinion' for the client;• holding conferences with clients to discuss their situation and problems, and to provide legal advice about that;• representing clients in court: including developing strategies for running of their case,making forensic decisions on what evidence is necessary, presenting their case, examining and cross-examining lay and expert witnesses, summing up all relevant material and advocating reasons why the judge or jury or tribunal member should support the case, and• where appropriate, negotiating settlements with the other side on best terms possible. Show less

• 

  University of Melbourne

  Apr 2022 - now

  Committee member (Legal)

  Member of the Human Research Ethics Committee