At the beginning of my term leading the Law Society this year, I nominated ‘Lawyers' service to their communities’ as one of my President’s Priorities. I wouldn’t have the privilege to be serving the profession as President today, without having put myself forward six years ago for election to the Council of the Law Society.

The work of Council is crucial to the support the Law Society provides to solicitors, and the maintenance of public confidence in the rule of law, through its role as a co-regulator of the profession.

As the email you received last week about the forthcoming Council election says, “Councillors … are ideally placed to consider the issues and pressures faced by solicitors and identify opportunities to strengthen the profession and help our members to better adapt to the changing demands of practice.”

I encourage you to consider nominating for election as a Councillor. You’ll find the official notice here. Whether or not you nominate, I encourage all members to vote in the election.

Voting will be online, except for those who request a hard copy printed ballot. Requests for hard copy ballots must be received no later than 5pm 13 September, by filling out and submitting this form. Results will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 24 October.

One of Council’s most important tasks is to oversee the work of our 27 Regulatory, Segment and Policy and Practice Committees. The profession is fortunate to have at its disposal more than 400 volunteer solicitors who provide expert input to these Committees.

Membership on the policy and segment committees provides the opportunity to help shape legislation, represent the Law Society in its engagement with government, non-government organisations and the courts, and to develop guidance for the profession on emerging and complex practice issues.

Membership of the regulatory committees provides opportunities to participate in making important decisions concerning the Law Society’s regulatory functions under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

From 2025, appointments to Law Society Committees will be moving in stages towards two-year terms. Details of that process can be found here.

Expressions of Interest in Committee positions open today. If you would like to be involved in this important work, submit your expression of interest here or email [email protected] if you need any further information.

Free Family Law CPD series

As a Family Law practitioner and former Senior Judicial Registrar at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA), I am delighted our CPD team has secured several of my former colleagues on the court for three complimentary webinars focusing on specialist lists and Priority Property Pool case management.

The first of these webinars will take place over the next three Mondays starting, 9 September from 5-6pm, where Judicial Registrar Roberta Allen and Judicial Registrar Kate Weaver will discuss The Evatt List: FCFCOA practice and procedure.

The following Monday, 16 September, Judicial Registrar Nicole Sloane and Deputy Registrar Lucy Warhurst from the FCFCOA will cover PPP case assessment. The final webinar will take place on Monday, 23 September. Senior Judicial Registrar Amy McGowan and Judicial Registrar Tracy Flintoff from the FCFCOA will explain the operation of the Magellan, National Contraventions and Specialist Indigenous Lists.

You’ll find more details about these sessions and be able to register for them here.

Brett McGrath, President, Law Society of NSW