A MOBILE app to help lawyers clarify overwhelming legal information for their clients is one of nine start-ups born through the Hunter's first accelerator program for female-led ventures.
Public defender Lizzie McLaughlin has worked as a criminal defence lawyer and now a barrister for more than 15 years and said it could be difficult for lawyers to break down - and clients to comprehend - complex information and advice, especially where the client's ability to understand, retain or process information is impaired.
She has used hand-drawn sketches and diagrams during conferences to break up dialogue and engage clients and knew that visual images on a device that was accessible in all sorts of spaces could be helpful for others.
She enrolled in the Female Founders Program.
"I was completely in the very formative stages, I really only got to the point of thinking 'This idea is not going out of my head and I think it's one that should and could work'," she said.
"The process of even applying to come into the course was the first time I'd really had to think seriously about it.
"Going through the course meant I had to look at it through the lens of what's involved in starting a business and entrepreneurship and that meant I really have been able to focus on refining the idea and exploring the market.
"It really allowed me to develop my idea outside of raving on about it at home and in my own mind into something that has some depth, some consideration, some structure and has a plan."
The City of Newcastle supported the program, which was hosted at the University of Newcastle's I2N Hub Honeysuckle and aims to level the playing field for committed female founders to build their businesses. Nine women participated in the 10 week program of mentoring, coaching and hands-on workshops aimed at empowering them to navigate their start up journey.
Ms McLaughlin said surveying around 160 criminal lawyers and interviewing about 10 face to face helped inform the creation of her app, LegalEase.
"I think it's potentially really significant," she said.
"Every lawyer knows it's hard to explain and we all doubt the extent to which our clients really understand some of the important things we are talking about.
"My aim is it makes more lawyers more productive, more efficient and improves their business but also that it acts as a point at which you have clients who are more engaged, who feel they are part of the system as opposed to the system being put onto them... they might participate in a different way."
Ms Laughlin said completing the program alongside other women was "absolutely invaluable".
"Everyone has come into this with their own levels of experience in the business space or otherwise and all with different levels of confidence but genuine ideas and potential, so it's been supportive and nurturing... when the doubts come up, you have this in-built support network to talk them through which is entirely non-competitive and really valuable."
The nine women pitched their start-ups at a demo day on Wednesday, at UON's new Q Building.
