I was touched to read Amy Dale’s Editor’s Note in the October Edition of the Law Society Journal, in which she spoke of the pain and loss she and her husband experienced on their journey to becoming parents.

In her note, Amy drew attention to International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day this Wednesday, 15 October. As you may know from my choice of President’s Charity this year, this is an issue close to my heart.

Last Friday marked 22 years since my beautiful son Elliott was stillborn, and since that time, there has been no change to the statistic that six babies are stillborn in Australia every day. This enduring loss affects more than 2,000 families every year.

I chose the Stillbirth Foundation Australia as my President’s Charity for 2025 because of the incredibly important work they do, raising funds to reduce the incidence and impact of stillbirth through research, education and advocacy.

I invite you to contribute to that work through a donation here, or buy a ticket or table to our Annual Members Dinner and Awards Night on Friday, 28 November, where 20 per cent of every ticket purchased will be directed to this very worthy charity.

Practice financial viability seminar – a regional first

A central mission of the Law Society of NSW is to provide support to solicitors at every stage of their careers, and in every area of practice. In fact, delivering quality support for solicitors’ success is one of my President’s Priorities this year.

That means we’re constantly seeking innovative ways to help members improve their practice, for example through our high quality, free CPD resources on the AML/CTF Hub, or AI for Legal Professionals portal.

Next month, we are joining with the South West Slopes Regional Law Society to host a first-ever Law Practice Financial Viability session, as part of a CPD seminar in Wagga Wagga.

While solicitors are the experts in providing legal advice, not all of us have the business acumen to truly maximise the success of our practices. That’s why we’ve invited Andrew Chen, Senior Partner at Findex, to share the characteristics of, and strategies to be, a profitable and sustainable practice.

Together with South West Slopes Vice President Linda Hansen, we warmly invite solicitors from her region and the neighbouring Albury & District and Riverina regions to engage in this stimulating seminar. There’ll also be a session on AML/CTF, succession and contingency planning for law practices, and a finances-focused session with our Wellbeing Manager Anna Fischer.

You can find out more about this exciting day and to book your place here.

Jennifer Ball, President, The Law Society of NSW