Lawyers as Performers: In Conversation with Kathryn Sutherland, Artistic Director of BottledSnail Productions and Director of Habeas Chorus, Melbourne Lawyers’ Choir
Written by Keely Moggach
Kathryn Sutherland - Artistic Director of BottledSnail Productions and Director of Habeas Chorus, Melbourne Lawyers’ Choir
There are plenty of career pathways for lawyers in the performing arts sphere, but what of lawyers who are artists themselves? This month I was fortunate enough to interview Kathryn Sutherland on behalf of FAME, and hear her thoughts on how the performing arts not only makes us better lawyers, but yields potential for changing the culture of the legal profession. Kathryn is the Artistic Director of BottledSnail Productions and Director of the Melbourne Lawyers’ Choir, ‘Habeas Chorus’. She is a JD graduate, commercial and government lawyer, and an active contributor to the performing arts scene in Melbourne. I am so grateful to be able to share our conversation and her many insights into the benefits of fostering one’ s passion for the performing arts alongside a legal career!
BottledSnail is a not-for-profit registered charity and theatre company run by and for legal professionals, with a focus on improving mental wellbeing in the legal sector. BottledSnail was founded in 2012, and has since branched into a number of performing groups, including but not limited to Habeas Chorus, Melbourne Lawyers’ Orchestra (‘Lawchestra’), Shakespeare in the Supreme Court, and ‘Lyrical Lunchtimes’ in the Supreme Court Library. They are a truly inspiring organisation and provide a wealth of inclusive opportunities for, as Kathryn explains, any and all members of the legal profession.
Kathryn joined BottledSnail in 2013 as a final year JD student, performing on BottledSnail’s Law Revue (2013, 2014) and creating and directing BottledSnail’s cabaret ‘The Secret Life of a Lawyer’ (2014) before taking a break to have two kids. She re-joined BottledSnail in 2023 before taking on the role of Artistic Director this year. Kathryn has been an avid singer and performer from a young age. Alongside her tertiary studies, she was a member of the Ormond College Choir, Artistic Director of the University of Melbourne Music Theatre Company (UMMTA), and completed a Diploma of Creative Arts in Theatre Studies at the University of Melbourne.
Here she shares her story of re-kindling her love of performing after law school, her belief in the power of the performing arts to foster positive change in the culture of the legal profession, as well as upcoming performances and opportunities for law students within BottledSnail.
Q: Can you share with us a bit about the mission and inspiration behind BottledSnail?
A: ‘We want to create creative outlets for people in the legal industry, and we want to do that because we know that it improves lawyers’ mental health.’
‘The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner published a report earlier this year, affirming what’s always been the case, which is that lawyers (when considered against the broader community) tend to have poorer mental health. The VLSB+C report indicates that the issue is more prevalent for early career lawyers.’
To view the report by the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner on Lawyer Wellbeing, Workplace Experiences and Ethics, follow this link: https://lsbc.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-04/Research%20Report%20-%202025-04-16%20-%20Lawyer%20Wellbeing%20Workplace%20Experiences%20%26%20Ethics%20FINAL_0.pdf
‘I think it’s unsurprising. A lot of us (in the legal profession) are perfectionists and people pleasers. We seek validation from external sources. When you go down a law firm path, the expectation is you’re working long hours and people are relying on you to make sure the cogs are turning and the hours are billed. In order to try and get that validation, we work ‘harder’ and longer hours.’
‘But because we’re in a culture where that’s really the norm for so many people, the affirmation doesn’t come, and if we’re relying on that external validation for our own feeling of self-worth to come, you can find yourself on a treadmill where you’re working longer and longer hours, which can lead to burnout.’
‘My way off the treadmill, what has really helped me, is to work on finding other sources of joy and affirmation outside of my work environment.’
In addition to creating avenues for improving the mental health of legal professionals through creative outlets, BottledSnail seeks to produce artistic productions of an exceptionally high quality.
‘From a project perspective we attract people who are smart, driven and have high standards, so the sorts of productions we put on are pretty awesome. And the way that we structure our rehearsals and projects is very much with the ‘busy lawyer’ in mind.’
Q: Can you speak a little as to why lawyers should seek to infuse the arts specifically into their lives, as opposed to other creative outlets? What is it about the performing arts that is so special, to your mind?
A: ‘I think one of the incredible things about getting involved in a BottledSnail project is the networking opportunity. Law tends to be hierarchical, but say you join Habeas, the Lawyers’ Choir. You could be sitting next to, and I think about the people who are in Habeas, you could be sitting next to the general counsel at Maddocks, a criminal barrister, someone doing policy work in a state government department.’
‘It’s a fantastic way to network because you have a shared passion with the person you’re talking to. So I think from a career perspective (if you love the arts) it’s a no-brainer.’
Aside from her role as Artistic Director of BottledSnail and Director of Habeas Chorus, Kathryn has worked in private practice (at Maddocks and Clayton Utz), as a consultant (at Infrastructure Advisory Group) and is currently working as a Principal Lawyer on DTP’s MR5 Project. As a former Bachelor of Music student turned law student, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask how exactly she is able to juggle so many responsibilities while retaining her enthusiasm for her artistic projects.
Q: How do you make the time for BottledSnail and Habeas Chorus alongside your career as a lawyer? It must be really challenging to prioritise so many responsibilities while keeping that passion alive!
A: ‘It’s tricky because if you’d asked me five years ago, I would have said not in your wildest dreams could I ever imagine being able to juggle this alongside work.’
Kathryn describes in heartfelt and truly relatable terms the challenges of keeping one’s external interests and passions alive while juggling the intense workload of a law degree:
‘When I was at law school, I was Artistic Director of the University of Melbourne Music Theatre Association, and in first year, we did a production of Into the Woods. I just found it too hard to balance rehearsals with all the reading we had to do. After that production, I really put all that stuff on hold.’
‘I used to study a lot, like I would get up early and study and spend my weekends reading. I didn’t have a good balance at all. I really felt like something had to change. I still struggle with this – there’s a temptation to focus entirely on work but I really try and challenge that feeling. Things I’ve found quite useful have been mindfulness and time-blocking.’
‘As part of that process, I’ve also done a lot of thinking about what my values are and what it is that drives me as an individual? And in doing that I’ve been able to reconnect with what brings me joy. And, ultimately, it’s the same thing that that brought me joy when I was younger. It was theatre, and music.’
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the process for selecting projects for BottledSnail? How do you narrow down and choose between competing project pitches?
A: ‘The Committee doesn’t get involved in the running of projects, so the projects have to be self-sustaining. We’re, as a company, sort of an umbrella. So with Habeas, I’m responsible for locating the venue, coming up with the budget, making sure we’re at least going to break even.’
‘We tend to do one major production each year. So sometimes it’s about: what project is most likely to be sustainable from a financial perspective, and how is it supporting our members? But, really, we’re open to any and all ideas!’
Q: And I’m aware you currently have a major project on the near horizon.. Would you mind sharing a bit about your upcoming performance of Lindberg’s Requiem with us?
A: ‘This is our major production for this year. It’s a collaboration with the Lawyers’ Choir and the Big Band. It’s over sixty people on stage. It’s an Australian premiere of a jazz requiem by a Swedish composer, Nils Lindberg.’
‘When I was doing my arts degree, I did an exchange in Berlin, and I joined the university choir. For the semester that I was a part of the choir we learned this Requiem. At the end of the semester, we were put on a bus and driven to a church somewhere in Germany. The band came and met us at the church and the three soloists as well. We spent the day putting this Requiem together, and it’s just absolutely stuck with me.’
‘It’s wacky! It’s got sort of tribal screams from the soprano, and it’s got haunting saxophone improvisation that happens throughout it. The choir parts are hard – think seven-part harmonies.’
Q: Is the choir open to law students?
A: ‘Absolutely! We rehearse at Slater & Gordon in the city so for people who are law students, it’s a literal gateway into a law firm, which is a great opportunity, particularly if you don’t have a family connection with the law.’
Q: And is that generally consistent for all of BottledSnail’s projects? That law students are encouraged to get involved?
A: ‘Yes, absolutely. We love law students! It’s a mutually beneficial experience – we get to work with enthusiastic prospective members of the profession and they get to meet current members of the profession. I’ve had experiences where I’m in a work situation and find myself opposite from someone who I performed with in a BottledSnail production years ago. It’s great because we have an instant rapport (even if our clients are on opposite sides of the fence).’
Q: I love this idea that the arts can be complimentary to, and ancillary to, your legal career. It seems to me that artistic outlets are often seen as very freeing, but I know from my Bachelor of Music degree that often the performing arts are often also highly disciplined, too, and tend to share the culture of perfectionism present in law degrees. Have you seen any crossover in skills and mindsets that are shared by lawyers and artists?
A: ‘Artistic skills and skills in the law really complement each other, in that you’re learning things like project management, how to be a leader and work in a team. Even if you’re part of an orchestra and you’re managing your section, or something like that, they’re the same sorts of skills that you can then apply when you’re working as a manager in a legal team. There’s also the ability to time manage, and run a budget as well.
For the Lindberg, for example, I work with sponsors, sound engineers, venue managers and licensees. I need to ensure that our budget is balanced, we’re meeting our commitments to our stakeholders along with project milestones and manage marketing. The skills I need are very similar to the skills required in my day job as a lawyer working on a multi-billion dollar service contract.
The other clear crossover is in relation to communication skills. As a performer, you’re engaging with your audience and as a lawyer, you need to engage with your client, stakeholders, decision makers and colleagues. An ability to engage and communicate is something you can bring across from art and music as well.’
Q: What is your long term vision for BottledSnail and Habeas Chorus?
A: ‘I think for the company, like for all theatre companies, covid was very difficult. But we have seen a resurgence of connection and projects that are happening within BottledSnail. Particularly the Lawchestra, which was also on hold. They had their first concert in September after a number of years, and Habeas re-starting as well. I think just being able to continue with putting on productions year to year. And also getting engagement from law schools is a real aim, and continuing just to connect with people from across the legal profession (including other organisations like the Victorian law Foundation, VicBar, the College of Law and the Melbourne Law School).’
‘What I would love to do [in Habeas] is work with Australian composers, and to be able to put on more original work. I also love the idea of collaborating with other BottledSnail projects (like we’re doing with the Lindberg).’
‘I’ve really loved that about the Requiem. It’s a real labour of love, and something we can really take enormous pride in.’
Law students are welcome and encouraged to get involved in BottledSnail projects! If you or someone you know is interested in participating, Kathryn recommends coming along to a performance, saying hi to the members, or signing up through their website to become an official ‘Snail’. There you can also view the relevant information for the next Pitch Day, if you have an idea for a project that you’d like to bring to life in the Melbourne arts scene!
On behalf of FAME I’d like to express our enormous gratitude to Kathryn for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share her experiences and passion for the performing arts with us!
For more information on Habeas Chorus and their upcoming performance of the Lindberg Requiem:
https://www.bottledsnail.com/lindberg-requiem
For more information on BottledSnail, follow the link below:
For more information about the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, to which BottledSnail has contributed, follow this link:
