I start this week’s message with a sincere thank you to the many solicitors who have contacted me by email or posted on social media to express their gratitude to the Law Society for reducing the membership fees to $10 (plus GST) for 2020-21.

Our intent in reducing the membership fee so significantly was to provide members with both financial relief and a sense of certainty about remaining connected with our legal community at a time when we need it the most. During these testing times, I have certainly drawn strength from the warm words and messages of support that have been conveyed to me in response to the decision.

On that note, I would also like to publicly thank our staff at the Law Society who have taken the challenges of working from home in their stride and are doing all they can to respond to and support practitioners during the COVID-19 crisis.

I ask that you continue to be patient, particularly during the practising certificate (PC) and membership renewal period. Online lodgments for 2020-21 PC and membership renewals were deferred this year due to COVID-19 and will open tomorrow. For those who haven’t used the online renewal process before, I encourage you to do so this year. If you haven’t done so already, please register for and activate your LawID before you begin your renewal.

Finally, please be aware that there is no Monday Briefs next week due to the Easter holiday. Daily Updates will continue as normal, except for Good Friday.

I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Easter. In doing so, I can only echo the advice being given by the health authorities – stay home and stay well. In this way, we can all play a part in part in stemming the spread of COVID-19, sooner rather than later.

Richard Harvey, President, Law Society of NSW

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