Congratulations Mary Gleeson, recipient of the 2021 President’s Medal

Lessons on leadership

Throughout the course of the year I have been consistently impressed by the calibre of the professional development opportunities we provide for our members through our Thought Leadership program, CPD and Future of Law and Innovation in the Legal Profession (FLIP) initiatives.

Our final FLIP Buzzwords panel discussion on Leadership last Tuesday was next level. Our four panellists, Susan Hackett, Dr George Beaton, Michael Bunting and Jennifer Harris, each provided their own enlightening take on what leadership in a legal workplace should look like. And not just in relation to working with other lawyers, but also in relation to what clients expect from their lawyers. You can register now to watch this discussion on Leadership via our on demand portal.

Annual Members Dinner

Our long-awaited Annual Members Dinner at the Fullerton Hotel in Sydney was a spectacular and joyous occasion and a wonderful way to formally bring 2021 to a close. It was fantastic to have more than 250 members and friends of the Law Society join us, in person, to celebrate the achievements of 2021.  

One of the highlights of the evening was our keynote speaker Mindset Coach, Ben Crowe, known by many as the man who Ash Barty credits with helping her become the world’s number one women’s tennis player. As Ben pointed out, so many high achievers lose their purpose in life because they are distracted by achievements and results and validation by others, rather than the process of getting there.

As he explained it, “Purpose mindset is thinking, am I just here to show up and go to work and make a whole lot of money and try and win a case? Fundamentally, I stand for something, I believe in something, something that lights me up, a legacy I want to leave the planet. There's something I'm deeply passionate about, and at my funeral it’s what we celebrated about me in my eulogy? That's purpose, and purpose mindset."

2021 President’s Medal

As part of the formal proceedings at the Dinner, I was pleased to announce Children’s Court registrar and former Legal Aid NSW solicitor, Mary Gleeson, as the recipient of the 2021 Law Society of NSW President’s Medal. It was fantastic to be able to acknowledge Mary’s 28-year significant contribution to early intervention services in the family law setting.

Her passion and commitment has created significant improvements in access to justice for so many Indigenous children and families. Additionally, her work with The Shed, a male suicide prevention service in Mt Druitt, and as duty solicitor at the Federal Circuit Court’s Indigenous Families list, has provided access to the family law system for Indigenous children who would otherwise have been at risk of removal from their families through the care and protection system.

The Law Society has also benefited from her practical expertise as a result of her sustained and valued contribution to the work of the Law Society’s Indigenous Issues Committee over the last eight years. Congratulations again Mary.

Happy holidays

As this is the final Monday Briefs for the year, and my final as President, I would like to wish all members a happy and safe festive season. I hope that you begin 2022 refreshed and with a renewed sense of optimism.

It has been an honour to serve as your President in 2021.

Juliana Warner, President, Law Society of NSW