Lawyers and law students in the first stretch of their careers although nobody is checking ID at the door. If you are curious about where a legal career can actually go and quietly done with the conference circuit as it currently exists or you just need a big dose of Career Big Sis energy, you are the person we built this for.

No. Do not let the pink fool you. CounselCon is for the whole next generation of the profession, whoever you are and everyone is genuinely welcome in that room.

No. Law students, graduates, in-house counsel, private practice, people working in and around the legal industry, all welcome. The only requirement is an interest in doing this career on your own terms.

Thursday 11 March 2027, 9:00am to 4:00pm AEST, at The Calile Hotel on James Street in Brisbane.

One day, roughly eight sessions, running as a mix of panels, fireside chats, workshops and proper storytelling. The balance leans about two thirds toward inspiration and community and one third toward practical skills, because you can get a compliance update anywhere. There are brand activations and genuine time built in to meet people, not the usual thirty seconds of awkward mingling next to a bain-marie.

Both, deliberately. The programming is real and the connection is the point. We have capped numbers at 150 so it stays a room you can actually work rather than a hall you get lost in.

Honest answer, we do not know yet. We are looking into it.

If you know how this works, or you know someone who does, email hello@melstorey.com and we will name a coffee break after you (jk).

We will update this page the moment we have the answer.

Budget around the $500 mark. If your firm has a learning and development budget, get your request in now rather than in February, because that money tends to go to whoever asks first and there is no prize for being polite about it.

Late September. The waitlist gets first dibs before anyone else, which means first release pricing and the best chance of getting a seat before the room fills. Get your email on the list now.

Yes. You will be able to spread the cost rather than paying it in one hit, with the details at checkout.

Not on a ticket, no. There is another way in though. We will run CounselCrew, a small work experience crew of law students who come on as part of the event team for the day. You will be guiding guests, helping the day run and generally in the thick of it, which means you see the whole event from the inside and hear every session without paying for a ticket. Spots are genuinely limited and the waitlist gets first dibs, so if this is you, get your email on the list now. It’ll look great on your LinkedIn too ngl.

Yes, because "I would like to attend the anti-establishment legal conference" is a difficult sell at 4:45pm on a Monday arvo.

Copy the below, change the bits in brackets, send it up the chain. The ticket platform can issue a GST tax invoice in your firm's name automatically, so you will have the paperwork side covered.

Hi [name],

I would like to attend CounselCon 2027, a one day professional development conference for early and mid career lawyers, on Thursday 11 March 2027 at The Calile Hotel in Brisbane. The ticket is approximately $[500] and I would be out of the office for one day.

The program covers career development, the impact of AI on legal practice and practical skills sessions, with speakers from in-house, private practice and the broader legal industry. Attendance is capped at 150, so the format is built for genuine connection rather than a large auditorium.

What I would bring back:

• practical takeaways I can apply to my work straight away

• connections across in-house and private practice that support referrals and business development

• a written summary for the team, so more than one person gets the benefit of the cost

I am happy to run a short debrief afterwards. Could you let me know whether this can be approved from the learning and development budget?

Thanks, [Name]

Most people are coming alone.

We will run the Big Sis Buddy program so you are not walking into that room cold. Opt in when you book and we will match you with someone before the day, so you arrive with a name, a face and someone to sit next to at lunch. The whole event is built around 150 people rather than 1,500 for exactly this reason.

The Calile is a hotel as well as the venue, and we are arranging a discounted rate for CounselCon attendees. Details will go to ticket holders.

Whatever you would wear on a good day that does not involve court. This is not a suit-and-lanyard situation, though you will get a lanyard. Pink, Pearls, Colour, Comfort, YOU, all welcome.

Yes. There is a barista on arrival, morning tea, a hot lunch and afternoon tea, all included in your ticket. You will be asked about dietary requirements when you book.

Nope. Chatham House rules baby!

There will be a photographer and video crew. If you would rather not appear, you can tell any member of the team on the day and we will make sure of it.

Yes. If you have access requirements, tell us when you book and we will be more than happy to work with you to sort it out ahead of time.

The 2027 line-up is locked, so we are not taking pitches for this one. If you have something you want to bring to a future CounselCon, get on the list, because that is where the call will go out first when we open it.

Partnerships for 2027 went out by invitation to brands we already know and trust and spots are limited and category exclusive, so once a category is taken it is gone.

If anything opens up in a second release, we will send the partnership page to the people who have asked.

Email hello@melstorey.com with subject title CounselCon Partner to be on that list.

The 2027 line-up is locked and we are releasing it in stages. Expect names across career, identity, AI and the future of the profession, with a few people you might even recognise from your FYP.

The full program lands after early bird tickets go on sale and the waitlist hears every announcement first.

Please do, groups are our favourite thing. There is no group discount at standard numbers, because 150 seats does not leave much room to move.

But if you are bringing twenty or more, email hello@melstorey.com and we will sort something out for you.

Tickets are transferable, so you can pass yours to a colleague or a friend at no cost and we will update the name for you. Please email hello@melstorey.com to let us know.

The Calile is on James Street in Fortitude Valley, which is walkable from Fortitude Valley station and an easy trip from the CBD. Paid parking is available on stie undercover. Paid street parking is available too however, it’s a busy little spot so plan time in advance to find a park for the day.

Personally, we would recommend public transport.

Babies are welcome. The only ask is that if they are having a loud moment, you step out of the session room, which is less about the baby and more about the person trying to hear from the back row.

There is a quiet space nearby for feeding or pumping and if you need anything more than that, tell us in advance and we will arrange it properly rather than pointing you at a bathroom. Ew.

Yes. There will be a space set aside for exactly this, so if you need ten minutes away from the room at any point in the day, it is there and you do not need to explain yourself to anyone.

The conference itself finishes at 4:00pm and the day is dry however, there is likely to be an off-site social afterwards, which is not included in your ticket and will have its own details closer to the day.

Stay if you want to keep the conversation going, head home if that is what you need. If you do come along there will be drinks, there will also be plenty of people not drinking, and nobody is counting either way. <3

Brisbane is where 2027 lives. Beyond that, who knows! Join the list and you will know before anyone else.