Leadership for a dynamic future
President's Message | 27 November 2023

These weekly President’s Messages have provided me with repeated opportunities to express what an honour it is to lead the solicitor profession.

This role provides so many opportunities to meet with and speak with practitioners in every corner of the state and in every sector – private, in-house, government and those providing pro bono access to justice.

I’ve valued finding out what’s important to them and how the Law Society can continue to find new ways to help them serve their clients and the justice system.

As I have mentioned before, the NSW legal profession now stands at 40,000 solicitors and we are the largest membership body of its type in Australia. Our Constitution requires that – absent extraordinary circumstances – we have a new President every year.

I’m very much looking forward to handing over to our Senior Vice President Brett McGrath who’ll take the reins next year. Stepping into the role of Senior Vice President in 2024 will be Jennifer Ball.

I am so humbled and grateful for the support they have provided me during my term this year. Stepping into the role of Junior Vice President in 2024 is Councillor Ronan MacSweeney.

We are fortunate as a profession and organisation to have such depth of talent on Council. As I’ve said before in these messages, if you think you have something to offer as a leader of your profession, the next time nominations are called for election to council, throw up your hand!

Mock Law: great prep for the real thing

Last week I praised the work of NSW Young Lawyers for their work in being a nursery for legal talent and community leadership.
For many of us, the incubator was school. My enthusiasm for law really took root around year 10, when I started Legal Studies.

I’m so thankful that the Law Society of NSW supports two Mock Law competitions, designed to inspire high school students to pursue a career of service to the justice system.

During this month, we had the grand finals for the 2023 Mock Mediation Competition, for students in years nine and 10 and the 2023 Mock Trial Competition for students in years 11 and 12.

The Mock Mediation teaches students the importance of alternative dispute resolution and is a natural precursor to the Mock Trial Competition.

While I didn’t have the opportunity to take part in either of these competitions while at school, I had the honour of volunteering as an adjudicator in some of the early rounds.

After nationally accredited mediators Lara Bishkov and Helen Miedzinski judged the Grand Final on 9 November, I had the pleasure of presenting the trophy to St Patrick’s College Campbelltown. St Pats just pipped Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta.

The Mock Trial Competition is one of the Law Society’s longest running educational initiatives. Since it began in 1981, the competition has grown continually with 144 schools taking part in 2023.

The trial put to the test students’ advocacy, debating and problem-solving skills, providing some practical experience of running a court case in a true to life adversarial setting.

Chair of the State Parole Authority and former Supreme Court Justice Honourable Geoffrey Bellew SC presided as magistrate for the Grand Final with Loreto Kirribilli edging out Brigidine College St Ives in a thrilling criminal trial. My thanks to co-adjudicators Anthony Cheshire SC and the Law Society’s Ellen McKenzie for what was no doubt a difficult verdict to reach!

The support of members and others across the profession is crucial to the success of these competitions that engender so much excitement for the law in their participants.

If you’re interested in volunteering as either a magistrate in the Mock Trial or an Adjudicator in The Mediation Competitions, you can find out more here or register for the 2024 competitions here. Registrations for the 2024 competitions open in February.

‘Yule’ love our Christmas Hampers

In the next week or so, as we edge into December and the festive season proper, you’ll be seeing details about Dining Room Delivers’ Christmas Hampers for 2023.

I can’t reveal yet what they’ll contain, but I know our photographers have already captured some mouthwatering images of the feast available to members in the Sydney metro area.

This year, there are limited stocks, so be quick to put in your order before as soon as you see them announced. Don’t forget, proceeds from every sale of Dining Room Delivers hampers go to my President’s Charity, the Tracker Network. You can make a separate donation here anytime you like!

Cassandra Banks, President, Law Society of NSW