The Law Society of NSW’s Annual Conference has become one of the pinnacles in our event calendar, and this year we made some history.

Those attending enjoyed a compelling line up of speakers, which included Rob Bilott, a US lawyer who inspired Hollywood to adapt the story of his fight for communities affected by drinking water contaminated by so called forever chemicals.

The first day of the Conference, entitled The Curious Lawyer, explored some of the biggest questions facing lawyers today and was presented by the team at the Law Society Journal. Day two included four targeted streams for Government, In-House Corporate, Rural and Private Practice, and Early Career Lawyers. I take this opportunity to thank all staff involved for their excellent work in putting the whole event together.

The history we made was the establishment of the Lawyer Mediator Accreditation (LMA) Scheme. This is a new mechanism for Law Society solicitor members who undertake the required training to become a lawyer mediator, or who are already accredited with the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS).

As a mediator myself, the announcement is a source of particular pride for me. It was an honour to share the stage with Gary Ulman, one of my predecessors as Law Society President, and the current Chair of our Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.

I thank Gary and the Committee for their invaluable work in devising the LMA Scheme which will benefit both lawyer mediators and the public, providing a mediator accreditation option focusing on their legal practice skills and professional ethical obligations.

It will provide solicitors a straightforward path to accreditation, and also offer parties to a legal dispute a clear choice when they decide on the person best qualified to guide their dispute through to resolution.

You can find further information, including the application for the LMA Scheme, here.

Exciting ADR Panel Discussion

The best way to avoid a conflict is for parties to agree on how they’ll disagree. That’s the subject of this years’ signature ADR Committee CPD and networking event on Thursday, 31 October here at the Law Society on Phillip Street.

The panel features lawyers who, between them, have amassed around a century’s worth of experience in mediation. They are Nina Harding - winner of the 2022 Mediator of the Year, and lawyer mediator Julie Robb. The Law Society’s Junior Vice-President Ronan McSweeney will also appear on the panel. The discussion will be moderated by the esteemed Max Kimber SC.

After the 90-minute discussion (1.5 CPD units), there’ll be a catered networking reception providing a wonderful opportunity for ADR practitioners and litigators to exchange ideas or just catch up. You can register for the session here.

Brett McGrath, President, Law Society of NSW