Dr Stern practises as a Barrister-at-Law who, as such, is a specialist advocate available to appear in courts and tribunals throughout Australia.

Dr Stern welcomes briefs from solicitors to appear, advise and draw up documents in respect of all court and tribunal matters.

In addition to appearances, an important part of Dr Stern’s specialist advocacy practice includes advising solicitors on how best to maximise their clients’ prospects of success in litigation or minimising their clients’ exposure to adverse litigation. Dr Stern draws up instruments and other documentation as instructed by solicitors to this end.

Traditionally, Australian legal practitioners admitted to legal practice in the State of Victoria were admitted as Barristers and Solicitors (by contrast, in New South Wales and Queensland a legal practitioner had to choose between being a Barrister or Solicitor). A relatively smaller proportion of legal practitioners admitted in Victoria have undertaken to practise exclusively as Barristers and not as Solicitors. Dr Stern has given such an undertaking to practise only as a Barrister.  Consequently, Dr Stern does not perform work for the public, as contrasted with working on instructions from solicitors.

So, examples of Dr Stern’s work as a specialist advocate in addition to appearing as counsel in courts and tribunals include, on the instructions of solicitors, drafting writs, statements of claims and pleadings that shape the course of litigation; advising solicitors and their clients on the presentation of their case in courts and tribunals; and before, during or after a trial or hearing, performing other preparatory and ancillary work that impacts on the judicial process, such as reviewing and providing advice with respect to affidavits and witness statements, and with respect to material evidence and the operation of court and tribunal processes, and with respect to dealing with decision-makers in prospective or existing litigants (e.g., drawing up their instruments or other documentation or making submissions to such internal administrative decision-makers), so as to maximise clients’ prospects of success in extant or anticipated litigation including in respect of appeals.

The work of parliamentary counsel also is recognised as the kind of work traditionally performed by barristers, so Dr Stern is experienced in drafting and settling statutory instruments, and administrative or corporate policies, with a view towards minimising exposures to adverse litigation.

Dr Stern works in such areas of practice as:
* Administrative Law
* Commercial Law
* Constitutional Law
* Corporations and Securities Law
* Employment and Industrial Law
* Equity and Trusts
* Evidence in common law litigation, civil and criminal proceedings
* Intellectual Property
* Taxation

Dr Stern is a Registered Tax Agent and a Chartered Tax Adviser with The Tax Institute, so also welcomes briefs on tax matters from accounting firms which employ solicitors.

Dr Stern is a Registered Trademark Attorney and a Fellow of the Institute of Patent and Trademark Attorneys of Australia, so also welcomes briefs on patent and trademark matters, and on copyright and broader intellectual property issues, from firms of patent and trademark attorneys who employ solicitors.

Dr Stern also holds an Indictable Crime Certificate from the Victorian Bar.

Dr Stern does not accept instructions directly from persons who are not solicitors or from bodies which do not employ solicitors (other than in such exceptional and rare circumstances as where, for example, he might perform a small amount of essential and urgent "barrister's work" for a client on the basis that the client is in the process of finalising the engagement of an instructing solicitor or he is functioning as a "duty barrister" making a "one-off" appearance or giving a "one-off" advice as part of such arrangements as those provided under the Victorian Bar Duty Barrister Scheme. Dr Stern is instructed by the solicitors who have briefed him. Dr Stern does not communicate directly with clients where any such communication would bypass his instructing solicitors. Dr Stern enters into costs agreements with solicitors in respect of work that he is briefed to undertake. The contractual arrangements in respect of such work are between Dr Stern and his instructing solicitors.

Dr Stern’s Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) at The University of Melbourne on the influence of financial law on monetary economics received the highest possible grading by the external examiners.
Dr Stern’s Master of Laws degree (LLM) at The University of Melbourne included a major thesis on the protection of computer software which was published in an abridged form as a major article in (1986) 60 Australian Law Journal 333.

Dr Stern has a basic knowledge of classical and modern literary (but not spoken or colloquial) Arabic and of Hebrew. He has lectured on Islamic law in seminars at the International Islamic University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a visitor from Victoria University.

Dr Stern has served, and is serving, extensively in such roles as a committee member of the Victorian Bar and of List S Svenson Barristers, including extensive periods of service as the Honorary Secretary of the Victorian Bar Council’s Library Committee and of the List Committee.

Dr Stern is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia and a member of the Australian Academy of Forensic Science.

Pro bono work at no or discounted rates continues to be part of Dr Stern’s practice: e.g., as a practitioner supervisor of students providing taxation advice and services to clients of The University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Law School Tax Clinic.

Dr Stern is admitted to practise in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and the High Court of Australia and federal courts, with an Australia-wide practice with respect to courts and tribunals throughout Australia, including all Australian States and territories.

Dr Stern is a member of the Victorian Bar Professional Standards Scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.  Relevant details, including a copy of the Scheme, are available at https://www.vicbar.com.au/Web/Web/Contents/Resources/Practice-Support/Professional_Standards_Scheme.aspx.