The first 10 words of the clauses stating the objects of the Law Society of NSW in our Constitution have remained unchanged since the establishment of the Incorporated Law Institute of NSW in 1884:

Consider, originate and promote reform and improvements in the law

The Law Society invests considerable resources in this work through our Policy and Practice Department, which supports the work of 18 standing Policy Committees. Each year, the Law Society makes more than 250 submissions and policy proposals to government, the courts and other stakeholders on a broad range of issues focused on improving the law and legal practice, for the benefit of our members and the wider community.

The first six months of 2025 have been no different.

Our Injury Compensation Committee helped inform the Legislative Council’s decision to subject controversial Workers Compensation legislation to much needed additional public and parliamentary scrutiny. This included submissions to and an appearance at a Parliamentary Committee Inquiry.

Several committees have worked tirelessly on behalf of the solicitor profession on the policy and practice aspects of consultations with AUSTRAC relating to the incoming anti-money laundering/counter-terrorism financing regime.

Others have developed practical resources to assist with emerging and complex issues that arise in practice, like the Family Law Committee’s guide on tendering sensitive or intimate images, and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee’s Pride Guide, launched at this year's Pride Breakfast event, that assists firms to support LGBTQIA+ solicitors. 

The examples above represent just a small fraction of the dedication and expertise of the solicitors who give their time to this important work. Their contributions shape the future of law and benefit the entire community.

In coming weeks, you’ll receive an email inviting you to nominate yourself to join one of our Committees. This year, nominations will be open for the following Policy Committees (two-year terms): Human Rights; Indigenous Issues; Injury Compensation; Litigation Law and Practice; Privacy and Data Law; Property Law; Public Law; Revenue NSW/Law Society Liaison; and Rural Issues.

There’ll also be information on how you can nominate to committees which support the work and interests of our Government and In-house members, along with the Licensing and Professional Conduct Committees which play a crucial part in the Law Society’s role as a co-regulator of the solicitor profession.

If you have expertise or a particular interest in any of these areas, I encourage you to consider nominating. Committee work can be immensely rewarding, offering the opportunity to help shape legislation, to discuss important issues with fellow specialists, and to give back to the profession in a meaningful way.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of the dedicated policy solicitors in our Policy and Practice Department who support the work of our committees. The Law Society and the profession is fortunate that we have been able to attract such legal talent that provides consistently high-quality work, often under extremely tight deadlines.

You can keep up to date with the publicly available work of our committees here.

Jennifer Ball, President, Law Society of NSW