Last Wednesday, as I stood before a packed room at Sydney’s ILUMINA event venue, I was reminded of the remarkable impact the Law Society of NSW continues to have on the solicitor profession.

Last year, in response to your feedback, we reshaped our approach to delivering our flagship CPD Conferences, including the Annual Conference. Judging by the energy in the sold-out auditorium, this first edition of the new look Annual Conference was a resounding success.

Early feedback suggests our dedicated CPD team delivered a first-class program, offering real and practical value to the profession, particularly through its major focus on the incoming obligations on solicitors arising from the Tranche 2 reforms to the AML/CTF regime.

I confess that my favourite session was one I had the privilege of moderating: a panel discussing court etiquette and protocols, featuring the Hon. Justice Ian Pike of the Supreme Court, Acting District Court Judge Judith Gibson, and experienced litigator and former Law Society President, Gary Ulman. It was a real education, especially for a practitioner like me, whose work rarely involves court appearances.

I extend my sincere thanks to all panellists, and our keynote speaker, AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas, for their contributions, as well as the CPD team, whose hard work made the day possible. If you were unable to attend, content will be made available on demand via LawInform in the coming weeks.

Celebrating strength through diversity
At the Opening of Law Term Dinner in February, I spoke in my address about my work on the Law Society’s first Diversity & Inclusion Committee. It was my first introduction to the work of the Law Society, and I found it a wonderful forum to contribute to our work in leading and supporting the profession.

It has always been my view that expressing a deep commitment to a diverse and inclusive profession, in and of itself, make us a better profession. In that spirit, and in recognition of Harmony Week, I invite you to join the Law Society of NSW’s event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The Day itself falls this Saturday, and commemorates the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa, where 69 people were killed while protesting against apartheid. It also acknowledges the subsequent signing of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Next Thursday, 26 March, we will host a panel, which will explore the challenges faced by practitioners from racially diverse backgrounds, and discuss how we can improve outcomes for clients from culturally diverse communities.

Our panel includes Leanne Ho, Pro Bono Partner at Wotton Kearney, and Keerthi Ravi, Senior Legal Counsel at PwC, with Councillor Alexia Ereboni Yazdani moderating. If you haven’t read Alexia’s speech at the Armenian Opening of Law Term function, it’s available on pages 10-11 of the March edition of the Law Society Journal, or here.

I look forward to welcoming you to this important event and introducing this engaging and informative discussion. You can book your place here.

Ronan MacSweeney, President, The Law Society of NSW