The managing partner also urges the legal profession to address public distrust of the industry
Stacey Dowson grew up with a dream to go to university in pursuit of knowledge - and eventually became the first member of her family in Australia to be enrolled in university. Since then, she has continued to buck trends, including by boldly branding Dowson Turco Lawyers as the country's sole "Out Loud and Proud" law firm.
In this interview, the managing partner tells us why she considers diversity to be her firm's superpower and discuses the significant distrust of lawyers by the public.
What made you choose a career in law?
When I was about ten or eleven years old, I watched a movie called Paper Chase. The plot was about a bunch of Harvard Law School students (all male but that didn’t seem to worry me at the time) and broadly centred on the pursuit of knowledge. The main character (I can’t recall his name) was in a study group, where each member had to provide concise notes for the rest of the team members. It was this mad rush to access and garner knowledge to ensure each of them provided what they had agreed to do, but it was also about knowledge power and progress/advancement, etc.
I was obsessed with the movie and with going to university in pursuit of knowledge. I was the first member of my family, living in Australia, to have gone to university, so it was a big deal.
What's your favourite part of the job?
My favourite part of the job is probably the educational side of what we do. It really is a privilege to be able to help someone learn something that will empower them to help themselves at a later time. Knowledge is power.
What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so?
Very recently, in around February of this year, Dowson Turco Lawyers welcomed a non-lawyer into the business. Brett Atkinson, who is our Business Manager and is now also a shareholder. I, personally, felt it was such a great move for our business as it provides a very different viewpoint and an injection of realism into decision making. I also see it as an extension of our DEI focus. Dowson Turco Lawyers has always been very pro-diversity and we have committed to this because diversity is what makes us stronger than most. I believe it is Dowson Turco Lawyers’ superpower.
What should the profession focus more on?
I believe lawyers should take a more educative approach so that we aren’t just seen to be fixers but rather as a source of leadership. I also think the profession could take a more progressive view of its role in society.
What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
It won’t come as news to your readers, but there is a pervasive view in society which centres on a serious level of distrust of lawyers. I think the profession needs to face this issue and combat and try to change the negative stereotype. I am not saying I know how to do this, but I do think there is an ongoing and increasing level of distrust in the community and it does not help anyone.
What are your thoughts on new technology and its impact on the legal profession?
The introduction of AI is potentially the most significant technological advancement in recent history. Whether or not this proves to be a good thing is still yet to be determined. Having said that, I believe you cannot stop progress and as an early adopter, myself, I think it is extremely important to understand the technology and harness the power of it early on. Dowson Turco Lawyers is in the early stages of exploring the options and figuring out how to harness the benefits in a way that not only enhances our business but potentially provides real benefits to our clients.
