John Phillips (jurist) - Legal Career

Legal Career

Whilst undertaking his articles, Phillips was the founding co-editor of the Melbourne University Law Review in 1957. The Review had developed from the earlier publications “Res Judicatae “ published by the Law School in Melbourne University and ‘A Magazine of Legal and General Literature’ by the then Articled Clerks' Society of Victoria.

After completing his articles, Phillips was admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 2 March 1959. During his time as a solicitor, he worked as a judge’s associate to Justice Douglas Menzies of the High Court of Australia.

Phillips read with Richard Newton of Eagle Star Chambers, who was to become a justice of the Supreme Court. In 1961 Phillips was called to the Bar, and set up chambers in the newly opened Owen Dixon Chambers in Melbourne. He specialized in commercial law, equity and probate law. During this time, he served as the Bar’s representative on the Supreme Court Rules Committee for two and a half years. During his time at the bar, he earned himself the moniker of “Equity Jack”, a reference to his specialization as a barrister in the equity jurisdiction of the court. The term was apparently coined by the chamber’s clerk to distinguish him from the other J Phillips who specialized in criminal law. The other Phillips was to later become the Chief Justice of Victoria.

Phillips married his wife Eva in 1965 and took silk in 1977 as a Queens Counsel. High Court judge and former Supreme Court judge Kenneth Hayne was a notable person who read under Phillips.