Last weekend in Coogee, I had the honour of addressing the NSW Young Lawyers Annual Assembly. This year we celebrated 60 years since Young Lawyers started as a Committee of the Law Society of NSW, beginning a leadership tradition for those who hold the future of the profession in their hands.

NSW Young Lawyers was central to my development as a lawyer and a servant of the profession. In 2011, my Regional Law Society at Coffs, appointed me in absentia as their Young Lawyers rep. In 2015, I ran alongside fellow young lawyers for a position on the Council of the Law Society and found myself suddenly elected.

I’m thrilled to welcome NSW Young Lawyers President Olivia Irvine to represent the state’s early career practitioners on Council for the next 12 months.

Former NSW Young Lawyers have gone on to become judicial officers, ministers of the Crown, and leaders in their communities. One, Rod McGeoch AO, even brought the Olympic Games to Sydney.

They have brought distinction on themselves and served the broader community; one important example is NSW Young Lawyers’ involvement in the genesis of legal referral centres that became access to justice powerhouses, like the Redfern Legal Centre.

The Law Society continues to recognise the need, indeed the duty, to nurture the next generation of practitioners who will help ‘all manner of people’.

That’s why I’m very much looking forward to meeting a new cohort of practitioners with our Welcome to the Profession event for recently admitted solicitors on Wednesday, 29 November at View by Sydney at Walsh Bay.

This complimentary event will provide opportunities for young lawyers to network with each other as well as leaders of the profession, including the Chair of the State Parole Authority and former Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Bellew SC, Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim of the Local Court of NSW, Lida Kaban, General Counsel, NSW Department of Communities and Justice and Taylah Spirovski Vice-President, NSW Young Lawyers.

I encourage any newly admitted lawyer to register for this excellent event, but be quick as it’s filling up.

Demand is also high for places at the the 2023 NSW Young Lawyers Constitutional Law Address. This year Judge of Appeal The Honourable Justice Mark Leeming will deliver the address on the topic of “State” Constitutional Law. The winners of this year’s Sir Anthony Mason Constitutional Law Essay Competition will also be announced. Register for this important event here.

A supreme line up for 2024 CPD last minuters

You will have seen, both in your inbox and in last week’s Monday Briefs, that the Law Society’s Professional Development team has launched its January-March CPD program.

The program is truly impressive with opportunities across all mandatory knowledge areas, ranging from a single unit top-up to an eleven-unit conveyancing fundamentals course. The ten-unit Practice Management course is also on offer. They’re all presented to enable you to meet your CPD requirements on time.

There are 20 Mandatory Rule 6.1 courses offering 3 to 4 units on topics ranging from essentials for hybrid legal practice to sole practice, in-house and criminal law. There are also two full-day intensive courses being held relating to property law and elder law, wills and probate. Check the program here for the format of the courses, whether live online webinar or in person.

What truly excites me about this program is the line up of presenting talent. This includes the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Julie Ward, who will deliver a complimentary live online webinar on Practice, procedure and conduct in the Supreme Court of NSW.

Members will be able to gain valuable insights into procedure and learn practical tips on proper conduct when conducting matters in this jurisdiction.

We are also truly fortunate to have secured the Honourable Philip Hallen to lead a three- unit workshop on Mediation and settlement strategies in succession law.

I am also very pleased that this program includes a course that reflects one of my President’s Priorities for this year, the wellbeing of the profession.

The Law Society’s Wellbeing Manager Simonette Vaja will lead a five-unit blended format course, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for the Australian legal profession. This course represents a valuable opportunity to learn how to recognise common mental health problems, how to provide initial support to a person developing a mental health problem, and how to respond in a crisis.

The quality of these courses and the presenters leading them provides a vivid illustration of the Law Society’s commitment to delivering quality professional development opportunities to ensure the state’s profession is properly equipped to serve their clients and the community.