By LSJ Staff -
SPONSORED CONTENT
This May, Australian audiences will have a rare chance to hear from one of the most compelling public figures of our time. Michelle Obama comes to Sydney and Melbourne for In Conversation with Michelle Obama – an evening that promises to be as thought-provoking as it is timely.
Presented by Growth Faculty, the event brings together professionals, leaders, and community members for a discussion spanning Mrs Obama’s remarkable career in public service, her years in the White House, and the work she continues to champion for the next generation.
For those in the legal profession, the themes at the heart of Michelle Obama’s work – leadership, integrity, civic responsibility, the power of individual voice – will feel close to home. The law shapes institutions, guides communities, and upholds the values democratic societies depend on. Hearing from a global figure whose entire career has been oriented toward public impact offers a valuable moment to reflect on those broader responsibilities.
Michelle Obama first came to global prominence as First Lady from 2009 to 2017, earning widespread recognition for her ability to connect across cultures and backgrounds while driving initiatives around education, health, and opportunity. But long before the White House, her path was already defined by public service. A Princeton and Harvard Law graduate, she began her career as an attorney before pivoting to roles focused on community engagement and public impact – working across the non-profit sector to strengthen partnerships and expand opportunities for young people.
Throughout, her approach to leadership has been consistent: empower others. Her advocacy rests on the conviction that investing in education, and in young people themselves, is how stronger communities and institutions get built.
That commitment continues today through the Obama Foundation and initiatives like the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which supports adolescent girls around the world to access education and develop the confidence to lead. It’s a direct expression of her long-held belief that the next generation doesn’t just inherit the future – they shape it.
The Australian events will offer something more personal than a traditional keynote. In Conversation with Michelle Obama will explore the experiences and ideas that have formed her – from her early years in Chicago through to her time in the White House and the work she’s taken on since.
Her visit also coincides with the release of her new New York Times and Amazon bestselling book, The Look. Part behind-the-scenes, part meditation on identity, the book explores how some of her most memorable looks came together – and what they say about confidence, authenticity, and how we present ourselves to the world. It’s a fitting lens for a figure who has spent her public life demonstrating that leadership doesn’t require fitting a mould. It requires bringing your own voice, values, and experience into the room.
That thread runs through everything she does. Her memoir Becoming – one of the bestselling books of the past decade – offered an honest, human account of the experiences that shaped her. Across her writing, advocacy, and public speaking, the message is consistent: your voice matters, and so does what you do with it.
As she’s put it herself: “You don’t have to look a certain way or act a certain way to fit in. You don’t have to make a lot of money or come from a certain group to make a difference.”
For professionals working in fields that shape public life, that’s not just an inspiring line – it’s a useful reminder. Leadership isn’t only about position or authority. It’s about the willingness to use your influence in service of something beyond yourself.
At a moment when institutions and communities face real and complex challenges, a conversation like this feels less like an event and more like a necessity.
Exclusive discount for the Law Society of NSW members
Law Society of New South Wales Members get $50 off A reserve tickets (original RRP $395). Receive the unique link to purchase please email lsj@lawsociety.com.au with the subject line and include your LawID.
Giveaway
Growth Faculty are giving away 2 x single platinum tickets to the Michelle Obama in Conversation event in Sydney (ICC/Tiktok arena) on May 20th or 21st. For a chance to win one of the single platinum tickets for this event, email journal@lawsociety.com.au including your LawID and with the subject line GROWTH FACULTY before 6pm on 10 May 2026. This giveaway is open to members only, T&Cs apply.
