Paul Stein (judge)

Paul Leon Stein, AM, QC, LLB, LLM (born 1939), is a former Australian lawyer and judge, and an authority on environmental law.

Stein was born in London, England, on 4 January 1939. His parents were Hyman (Harry) Stein (1910–1980) and Sarah (Sadie) Stein née Henry (1908–1996); they had four children. Hyman Stein was a jazz musician who performed under the name Bing Stern. Stein has said, "We were not a poor family but my father's occupation as a musician did not allow for extras or luxuries." The family is said to have flipped a coin as a way to decide whether to emigrate to Australia or Canada, and Australia won the toss. Stein's elder brother and sister emigrated first, settling in Sydney. Stein, with the rest of his family, followed in 1953, on the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme.

Before moving to Australia in 1953, Stein’s only experience of Andipodeans was an Australian schoolteacher who caned him for alleged cheating. Believing himself to be innocent, Stein has said of the experience, "I was not guilty but this plain injustice may have been the trigger for my rebellious streak." In Sydney, Stein attended Sydney Boys High School. There, Stein reinstated the school’s football (soccer) team, which played for several years without formal recognition from the Sydney Boys High headmaster (either Gordon Barr or Kenneth John Andrews). In protest at this lack of official recognition, Stein wrote letters to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, and refused to wear his high school uniform blazer.

Stein attended the Sydney Law School, at The University of Sydney from 1957 to 1960. In his Articles of Clerkship, Stein’s master solicitor was Phillip Goldman, and later, John Pitman Webster of Uther Webster. During university Stein worked as a tram conductor in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Stein was admitted to the bar in 1961. In February 1964 Stein commenced at Mena House Chambers. He was part of the establishment of Forbes Chambers, Frederick Jordan Chambers, and Wardell Chambers. Stein took silk in 1981, and was a Queen's Counsel for two years before being appointed a judge of the District Court of New South Wales.

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