Jim Shaw was admitted to practice and signed the Bar Roll in 1996. He read with Craig Harrison KC. He has been a member of Crockett Chambers since 2005 (www.crockett.com.au).
Jim has an extensive criminal law practice in which he appears as defence counsel, as well as prosecuting on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, and other authorities. He has appeared in a large number of criminal trials and pleas in the Supreme and County Courts. These matters have included charges of murder, culpable driving, drug trafficking, violence offences, property offences, dishonesty offences, extortion, blackmail, sexual offences, conspiracy, false imprisonment, firearms offences, arson, attempting to pervert the course of justice, perjury, offences relating to solicitors' trust accounts, and offences under the Corporations Act, Building Act, and Planning and Environment Act.
In the civil jurisdiction, Jim practices primarily in the areas of construction law, property law, and commercial law, appearing in trials and applications in the Supreme Court, County Court, and VCAT. Jim has over 20 years experience in alternative dispute resolution and mediation of construction and commercial disputes.
Jim also appears at inquiries, Royal Commissions, and coronial inquests, and in civil and criminal appeals in the Court of Appeal.
Jim has particular expertise in areas where the criminal and civil law intersect, such as white-collar crime and building and planning prosecutions.
Jim holds an Indictable Crime Certificate and is on Victoria Legal Aid's Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List.
In 2021 he completed the Centre for Cultural Competence Australia's course in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence.
Jim has lectured for several years in Trial Practice and Advocacy (undergraduate) and Advocacy Theory and Practice (postgraduate) at Monash University. He is an Accredited Senior Advocacy Coach, regularly teaching advocacy at professional workshops, and in the Victorian Bar Readers' Course.
Jim is a director of the Australian Advocacy Institute and is a member of the committee of the Criminal Bar Association.
Jim has mentored five readers, Luke McPhie, Harry Lewis, Martin Kozlowski, Stephen Chambers, and Redmond Casey.
