From Liverpool Girls High to The Hague to the Supreme Court of the ACT, Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson has a unique story.

Born to Greek migrant parents, her Honour was raised in Rockhampton in Queensland and Liverpool in Sydney’s south-west. Her Honour has a deep-rooted connection to her parents’ Greek culture and has never shied away from it, even in the years when diversity was not as accepted.

Her Honour attended public and private school in Queensland before enrolling at Liverpool Girls High School. Following her graduation as dux, she attended the University of Sydney, completing a combined Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts.

As Justice Loukas-Karlsson explains it, a public education attracts many people from multiple walks of life – it is the ultimate leveller. Not only are you exposed to the differences between people, including different cultures and religions, but you also learn in detail about them. This diversity is acknowledged and celebrated, allowing participants to broaden their world views.

Early years are the foundation for our future and, while there are exceptions, our careers. We spend over six hours a day at school for 13 years, with the last two years generally being the most stressful. During this time, our classmates, teachers, friends and community significantly impact our identity and views.

Her Honour’s own journey did that for her, which was crucial to her journey as a practising lawyer. She was able to learn about the nuances and intricacies of different cultural and religious backgrounds, which in turn was highlighted in her diverse and strong practice as solicitor, barrister and senior counsel. The diversity of her Honour’s practice as a barrister included practising in international criminal law in The Hague in the early 2000s.

Justice Loukas-Karlsson believes that one can develop strong emotional intelligence to relate to and understand people, including those you represent or who come before you in court. She mentioned this when she returned to her alma mater, Liverpool Girls High, to celebrate International Women’s Day in March 2024. She spoke to Year 11 and 12 girls and the Year 10 Liverpool Boys High students who were completing legal studies as a subject for the HSC.

Justice Loukas-Karlsson fondly recalled her time as a pupil there in 1977 and 1978, when her interest in law developed – many years before it became an HSC subject. A number of teachers made a unique and lasting impression on her, for which she is grateful even today.

She gave the students a summary of her career and advice to take with them as they complete their HSC studies:

• Work hard. Never just rely on raw talent; you must put your all into everything you do.
• Laugh. Life gets tough; make sure you never lose your sense of humour or your sense of the absurdity of life.
• Get out of your comfort zone – do something different. You learn the most by changing up and doing something that you are not necessarily comfortable with.
• To succeed, you need to fail. Failure teaches us many lessons in life, far different from the lessons of success.
• Be true to yourself and be the best version of you. Take your best self into positions of power and positions that support the community, and give back.

In May 2024 Justice Loukas-Karlsson gave another special address, this time at the University of Sydney Law School Prize Giving Ceremony. There her Honour underlined that emotional intelligence has sometimes been overlooked as a critical legal skill, saying that top lawyers with high intellect, IQ and EQ (people skills) will always flourish, regardless of the rise of artificial intelligence. Her Honour also quoted the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle: ‘There is no learning without pain.’

In sharing her experience and learning, Justice Loukas-Karlsson has left a lasting impression on younger generations, both women and men, but especially the women lawyers to whom she has dedicated time and resources. She has created a community of female practitioners who can look to her for guidance in the fundamental years of practising law – and in life.

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^{[1] The author was formerly the Bar News coordinator and is currently associate to the previous Bar News editor, the Hon Justice Ingmar Taylor.}