Episode 172 – Righting wrongs through understanding and advocacy with Lawyer Stephanie Parkin
Podcast (the-happy-family-lawyer-podcast): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
In this week’s episode of the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life Podcast’ I had the pleasure of interviewing lawyer Stephanie Parkin. Stephanie is a proud Aboriginal woman of the Quandamooka People of North Stradbroke Island and it is no surprise, having now learned some of her life experience, that she has taken her intellect and applied it as an advocate for her people. As a talented IP Lawyer, Stephanie now works to represent Indigenous Australian Artists in managing and promoting their work.
I learned so much from Stephanie in this conversation as she shared her perspective on the challenges we as a community and culture face in Australia today as we try and reconcile the wrongs of our past. This interview turned into a wonderful opportunity to explore some very difficult issues and I welcomed the chance to learn from Stephanie (even if I got my arrival date for good old Captain Cook about 200 years wrong!)
These days Stephanie is completing her Masters of Philosophy and Law at the Queensland University of Technology whilst working at the Copyright Agency. She is everything I love about happy lawyers and so I had to know her secret- the answer…. Curry and Netflix! A happiness ritual right there.
In this interview Stephanie and I also chatted about-
- If Stephanie was not a lawyer she would have been a professional surfer or police detective!
- Stephanie grew up in North Queensland and then on North Stradbroke Island within her aboriginal community.
- Stephanie’s involvement in the native title process and rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Stephanie’s tips for understanding the challenges that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community face within the current Australian Culture.
- Reconsidering the true history of Aboriginal culture and the way we perceive our national identity.
- Stephanie’s experience of growing up in her Aboriginal home of North Stradbroke Island and what her average day looked like.
- How Stephanie found herself in the Law.
- Stephanie started her legal career in the commercial space and then moved into Intellectual Property.
- At the moment, Stephanie is back at QUT studying her Masters and focuses on Inauthentic Aboriginal art and craft.
- Stephanie explains how the current Copyright Act affects Aboriginal artists and the way which she advocates for authentic artwork.
- The changes that Stephanie is working to see within Aboriginal Art and related Consumer Law.
- Stephanie assists artists in getting paid for their work as well as keeping the value of original aboriginal artwork.
- Stephanie has become the chair of the Indigenous Art Code where she governs the code between artists and wholesalers.
- The niche that Stephanie has found is a great balance between her culture and her passion.
- When Stephanie is not a lawyer she loves to visit her family over on Stradbroke Island and eat Curry!
- How Stephanie’s chance encounters with like-minded mentors and passionate leaders have impacted her career.
- The future for Stephanie in and outside of the law.
- The importance of storytelling in Aboriginal culture.
- Stephanie’s advice for new lawyers coming into the law.
- Stephanie’s Happiness Tip.
Sit back and enjoy this interview with Stephanie Parkin
***