By Tim Connard
I had the great pleasure of being formally admitted to membership as a distinguished fellow of the Academy at the Gold Coast conference in May, alongside distinguished fellows Nate Alder, Patricia Prince and Christopher Barnes.
The conference had a great buzz, and was a very rewarding experience both professionally and personally: thanks again to Douglas Murphy KC, Carol Wilbur and all those involved with planning and delivering it.
I have been practising as a mediator since 2001, first as a senior mediator with the Federal Court of Australia, and then subsequently mediating alongside practice as a barrister and tribunal member. I have been a full-time mediator since 2020, and it’s been fantastic to be able to join a diverse fellowship of experienced mediators found in the Academy. Mediation can be a lonely gig sometimes, and it’s been wonderful to be able to meet colleagues from around the world to find out things we have in common and things we do differently. I left the conference with the fullest of hearts.
After the conference, I was fortunate to be able to travel to Italy for some hiking in the Dolomites with my partner Richard. The epic scenery and hundreds of acres of wildflowers were simply beyond words. We continue to be grateful to experience such wonderful environments, particularly with so many parts of the world in such turmoil.
Prompted by Jonathan Lloyd-Jones’ mention of it in his closing remarks at the conference, I re-read Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard while travelling. It’s a fantastic book — I underlined many, many passages during reading, and can recommend it without reservation. (The new serialisation on Netflix of The Leopard is definitely worth a watch.) Another book I have been reading and can recommend is Richard Susskind’s recently published book, How to Think about A.I.
Looking forward to seeing you at the conference in Boston next May 27-30 for more great company and stimulating ideas. Watch the website and your inbox for more information.