This week, I’m excited to announce the completion and launch of a project that is central to my President’s Priority of  ‘delivering quality support for solicitors’ success’.

The legal profession is evolving rapidly, and we are committed to supporting our members through change with future-focused guidance and resources.

At the Opening of Law Term dinner, I committed to deliver a capability framework that outlined the skills required to equip graduates for legal practice.

In developing the Law Society of NSW Solicitor Capability Framework, we recognised that the establishment, maintenance and career-long improvement of the behaviours that make a well-rounded and successful lawyer aren’t just applicable to graduates and early career lawyers, but to everyone in legal practice.

This Framework, developed through extensive research and consultation with our members and experts in the field, identifies and describes seven capabilities that are key to your growth and development as a solicitor, regardless of your sector or area of practice.

It is not intended to be a substitute for your continuing professional development obligations or ethical duties but is designed to help you identify the right development experiences and learning opportunities to strengthen your career.

In an era of advancing technology and new ways of practice, it is more important than ever to strengthen the human attributes and skills that underpin the work of all solicitors.

This Wednesday, you’ll receive more information about the Solicitor Capability Framework directly in your inbox. On the same day, I’ll also be sharing this initiative at the Government Solicitors Conference, followed by the In-House Lawyers and Rural Issues Conferences.

In the coming weeks, we’ll also share details of a webinar I’ll be hosting later in the year with Dr Marcus Bowles, Chair of The Institute of Working Futures, discussing how the Framework can be used to drive excellence across our profession.

The Solicitor Capability Framework will better equip the legal profession with the capabilities needed to thrive in practice by supporting solicitors’ professional development, today and into the future. 

Record attendance for Specialist Accreditation Conference

Every year, the Law Society of NSW’s Specialist Accreditation Conference impresses, and that tradition endured at last week’s event at the International Conference Centre. More than 450 people attended the in-person day, making it the highest attended Specialist Accreditation Conference to date, including a sold-out Personal Injury Stream.

Overall, including Day 2 webinars, there were 50 sessions delivered across five areas of law, with an additional bonus on-demand webinar for each stream, with 11 current or former judicial officers present at the conference.

Delegates, mostly those solicitors who are Accredited Specialists in their area of law, were fortunate to hear the Chief Justice of NSW, the Hon. Andrew Bell, deliver the keynote address on the importance of providing prospective and early career lawyers with a solid foundation for their careers, along with an update on some concrete proposals to reform Practical Legal Training and the work done in this area of professional education and training by the PLT working group.

I recommend all solicitors take a few moments to read what the Chief Justice had to say. The speech is available on the Supreme Court of NSW website here.

Jennifer Ball, President, Law Society of NSW