The most recent Annual Review of the Local Court of NSW tells us that almost half the court’s caseload is related to domestic, family and personal violence. That proportion is unlikely to change significantly, given the steady year on year growth trend in the last decade of reported domestic violence incidents.

In September 2023, the then Chief Magistrate, Judge Peter Johnstone, established a Specialist Family Violence List Pilot, which introduced the concept of ‘trauma-informed practice’ in the Practice Note for the pilot. Matters not dealt with in the Pilot are subject to the Domestic and Personal Violence Proceedings Practice Note issued in 2012.

On 4 May, both of those Practice Notes will be superseded by the new Practice Note - Domestic and Personal Violence Proceedings, which is available now on the Local Court website.

Importantly, the new Practice Note will apply the trauma-informed practice approach to all domestic, family and personal violence matters before the Local Court. The Practice Note also aims to improve efficiency, minimise delays, and improve the Court experience for, and communication with, participants in these proceedings.

I’m immensely grateful to Local Court Judge Susan Horan, the Coordinating Judge for Domestic and Personal Violence, for making herself available for a webinar to explain the new Practice Note. The live webinar, which is complimentary for members, will be held on Tuesday, 28 April at 4.30pm, and participants will be eligible to claim one self-allocated CPD point. Register here.

Reshaping our Mentoring Program

There are few aspects of professional growth in the legal community more significant than having the guidance of a trusted mentor. I've experienced this from both sides: as a mentee early in my career during my first in-house role; and more, recently as a mentor through the Law Society of NSW's Mentoring Program.

For generations, mentors have offered practical advice to their mentees, from learning the ropes, to helping develop mastery. While the concept has been around for a very long time, we’ve made some changes to our programs to make them more effective and accessible.

While solicitor mentoring is not new, we have refined the program to better meet the needs of both students and practitioners. The introduction of separate law student and solicitor streams will improve the alignment of mentors and mentees, ensuring guidance is relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

We have also introduced a rolling intake, allowing applications during most of the year, and enhanced support, through structured training and resources for both mentors and mentees to support mutual professional development.

The program is free for all student and solicitor members. It’s hosted via MentorLoop, an online mentoring platform that supports both long distance and in-person mentoring across NSW, including regional, rural, and remote areas. I encourage you to participate in this rewarding experience, and you can learn more here.

Ronan MacSweeney, President, The Law Society of NSW