Joseph Friedman: a pioneer for prisoners

You’re a lawyer – and a writer. How do you manage both of these roles?

I studied law at Monash University, and I practised at Allens for 18 months in commercial litigation, restructuring and insolvency. Before that, I did an 18-month associateship at the Supreme Court of Victoria.

There are a lot of lawyers in my family. That’s probably what first got me interested, and I found myself reading a lot about miscarriages of justice and criminal justice reform. That's what got me hooked. It just felt like a natural thing to do.

I find writing very exciting. If I pitch a story, and a publisher says yes, I get a little thrill – more of a thrill in fact than my legal work.

I probably overcommit myself but if I have an idea, if I've got something to say that hasn't been said, I’ll pitch it. I’ll often get rejected, but if I get a yes then that gives me a deadline. Then I just do whatever I need to, whether that means getting up earlier or staying up later – but I’m more of a morning person – or if I have a quiet day at work, I’ll write at work.

What topics do you commonly write about?

I write a lot about criminal justice and the law. That’s where I have knowledge that's different from the average person. Anyone can have an idea, but if you want to get published, you have to show them why you're the person to provide that voice. A key focus area for me is miscarriages of justice, and the mistreatment of vulnerable people associated with the system.