The KMC Public Law Incubation Hub

Fostering opportunities in public law & building supportive networks at the Victorian Bar.

Why it was created

The KMC Public Law Incubation Hub aims to address two problems that many barristers often face at the Victorian Bar.

Challenges Addressed

A. Access to Public Law Opportunities Addressed

Public law is an area of law that impacts directly on the rights of individuals: particularly vulnerable members of society who cannot afford to pay specialist public lawyers to act for them. As a result, and in the great tradition of the Victorian Bar, many barristers have a commitment to act pro bono in public law matters.

However, public law is also an area that many barristers find difficult to ‘break into’. It can be difficult to find opportunities to develop court-ready skills in public law.

As a result, many barristers who have an interest and a valuable commitment to work in this area are (or may feel that they are) effectively ‘shut out’ from developing their skills in important respects.

B. Gentle, Welcoming Collegiality

This hub is also aimed at ensuring that some of the Bar’s more isolating social barriers are broken down. For most of us - at least at some points in our time at the Bar – finding colleagues who we can comfortably share our weaknesses and challenges with is not easy. As a result, we do not have on hand colleagues who can talk us out of a hole (eg, a professional or mental health hole), when we find ourselves in one.

The Hub's Offerings

Public Law CPDs

Regular CPD sessions at Koiki Mabo Chambers.

Hub Lunches

Casual lunch meetings for continued discussions.

Colleague Networking

Building trusted professional relationships.

Upcoming CPDs & Events

Professor Thomas Poole (LSE)

On 21 August 2025, at 12.30pm KMC will host Professor Thomas Poole (LSE), who will present on the topic: "Cities as Foundation of Constitutional Order: Reflections on the English Devolution Bill 2025”.

This CPD will be of interest to public lawyers, constitutional theorists, and anyone generally interested in UK devolution, constitutional ordering and democratic legitimacy.

After the CPD we will head to lunch at the Royal Standard Hotel in West Melbourne (at about 2pm). All are welcome. In your RSVP please indicate if you will attend the CPD, the Lunch, or both.

RSVP

Hub Lunch

All members of our Bar are very welcome to attend (and to RSVP the week before, to enable the booking of an appropriately large restaurant). The more strangers we can turn into trusted colleagues in occasions of CPD and lunch, the better.

At:

The lunch following the CPD will be help at 2:15 on March 28th at the Royal Standard Hotel in West Melbourne.

RSVP