Staying connected – physical distancing shouldn't mean losing our social connections

I really hope that all members, their staff and their families in the Greater Sydney region are coping with the ongoing lockdown, especially those in Sydney’s south-west and other hotspots. I appreciate that this is a difficult time for all, more so this time around with the health authorities’ concerns about the contagious nature of the Delta strain of COVID-19.

While we are all striving to deliver business in line with the NSW Health advice, please don’t forget to stay connected and check in on your family, friends and colleagues. While we may be physically distancing, we shouldn’t lose our social connections.

We will continue to provide updates to the legal profession via Monday Briefs and our regular “COVID-19 Update”. My sincere thanks to the courts, tribunals and other stakeholders for continuing to send information to include in our communications for the benefit of our members. This can all be accessed via our dedicated COVID-19 portal.

Given the uncertainty about how long the restrictions will last, our events will continue to be delivered online for the foreseeable future – including our upcoming annual Specialist Accreditation Conference on August 5. I am happy to announce that Dr Jacoba Brasch QC, President of the Law Council of Australia, is the keynote speaker for this conference. The virtual event will feature a fabulous line-up of speakers and topics over six specialist streams:

• Business law
• Employment and industrial law
• Family law
• Personal injury
• Property law
• Wills and estates.

You don’t need to be an Accredited Specialist to attend the conference and I encourage you to go to the Law Society website and have a look at the impressive program of speakers for the 2021 Specialist Accreditation Conference.

I also want to remind members that nominations are open for two important awards acknowledging the contribution of solicitors working in the NSW Government legal sector – the Michelle Crowther PSM Excellence in Government Legal Service Award and the John Hennessy Legal Scholarship. If you know a talented or innovative solicitor working in the public sector, then you should have a look at the eligibility criteria for these awards and submit your nomination. And while you are doing so, have a look at the fabulous video showcasing some of the past John Hennessy Scholarship recipients. Nominations for both awards close on 1 August 2021.

Another issue that members should be aware of is that the Law Society, on behalf of the Conference of Law Societies, recently published the 2020 National Profile of Solicitors. Significantly, the National Profile showed that the legal profession has grown by 45% since 2011, and that female solicitors now outnumber their male counterparts in all states and territories. As you can imagine, the data attracted quite a lot of media attention including the AFR, The Australian and ABC Sydney Breakfast Radio.

Until next week, stay well and stay safe.

Juliana Warner, President, the Law Society of NSW

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