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Inspirational Leaders In Law
Phil Rennick Principal Lawyer | Rennick Lawyers
Rennick Lawyers 306 Ross River Road, Aitkenvale Telephone 4775 1700 Email phil@rennicklawyers.com.au www.rennicklawyers.com.au
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DUOMagazine February 2017
Phil Rennick’s career is truly a case of law and order. The policeman-turned-lawyer has established a reputation as a skilled criminal and family lawyer, with his firm Rennick Lawyers. After joining the Queensland Police Service in 1986 and training in Brisbane, Phil says he requested to return to the bush – preferably Warwick, Roma or Mareeba. “The QPS sent me to Townsville.” Over the next decade, Phil developed his investigative skills through his work and in-service courses, and became a highly trained detective. “When I turned 30 I asked myself, ‘What would I do, if I wasn’t a police officer?’ I enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce at James Cook University in 1997 and it opened my eyes to the world of tertiary studies; but after 18 months I realised Commerce wasn’t for me, so I crossed over to Law.” Admitted as a Barrister in 2004, Phil was a Senior Sergeant within the police by this stage, working in the Legal Services Branch in Brisbane. “My primary role was developing legislation before it went to Parliament. I also worked on the legal issues relating to the high-coverage extradition of Jayant Patel from the US.” Using his experience as a policeman and a lawyer, Phil became involved in Queensland
University of Technology’s mentor program, in two fields – Justice and Law. (He was recently awarded for 10 years’ service to this program.) In 2007, having just turned 40, Phil retired from the QPS to enter the world of private practice as a Barrister, taking chambers on the Sunshine Coast and practising in Criminal and Family law. “Criminal and family law go together well because they rely upon advocacy skills,” explains Phil. “There is a sense of achievement when you obtain a good result, because you’ve played a part in guiding a person through a tumultuous period of their life.” In 2012, Phil and his wife Michelle returned ‘home’ to Townsville, and established their family-run firm. “Rennick Lawyers is a small firm focused on Criminal and Family Law, but we also do conveyancing, wills and estates, business and commercial matters. “I’ve devoted my career to the law – first through the Police and now as a lawyer. It’s a privilege to be able to assist people at a time when they most need help.”