COVID-19 has highlighted the vulnerability we all face in terms of our health and professional lives. A perusal of the headlines this past week has heralded the beginning of a period of what is likely to be significant economic downturn. 

It is a mark of a heeding of the lessons of the past that in recent days there has been much focus on the likely impact of the recent and current events on the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians. As we know, the legal profession is far from immune from having its own susceptibility to mental health distress, and it is timely that we carefully consider how easily we, as a community, will respond to the times before us. The Law Society is particularly mindful of the need to provide best practice and relevant mental health and support services to all practitioners.

One of the most satisfying elements of my role is the constant reminder that I am given of the collegial nature of the profession. As lawyers, who are part of a time honoured profession which is fundamentally about ensuring the effective ordering of human affairs, we also have a duty to care for each other. To this end, the Law Society is prioritising work on a tailored package of enhanced mental health services which will be available for all NSW solicitors during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. I hope to be communicating with the profession in the imminent future about this additional expert support for those who are feeling particularly stressed.

More broadly, however, the role we all have is to support each other. It might be as simple as a phone call to a practitioner, or an email or video call to see how colleagues are faring under these difficult conditions. We all need to look out for each other and do all we can to minimise the isolation many are feeling during these testing times. 

On another note, a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services is now undertaking an inquiry which will examine all aspects of the class action system, including the impact of litigation funding on the damages and other compensation received by class members in class actions funded by litigation funders. The committee is due to report by 7 December 2020.

Finally, a reminder for those practitioners who have not renewed their practising certificate to please do so now, preferably online.

Richard Harvey, President, Law Society of NSW

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