President

Jennifer Ball

Before commencing her term as the 2025 President of the Law Society of NSW, Jennifer Ball was a senior Partner in the Commercial Litigation practice of Clayton Utz.

With a legal career of more than 30 years acting in complex commercial litigation, Jennifer is recognised in legal directories such as Chambers Asia-Pacific, Who's Who Legal and Doyles Guide for her expertise as a leader in restructuring and insolvency, debt recovery and general commercial litigation matters.

Jennifer was awarded Best Lawyer in Insolvency and Restructuring at the 2014 Euromoney LMG Australasia Women in Business Law Awards and was a finalist in 2012. Jennifer was also voted by peers as one of Australia's Best Lawyers in both Litigation (since 2013); Alternative Dispute Resolution (since 2018) and Insolvency & Reorganisation (since 2015).

Jennifer earned her BSc (Genetics and Biochemistry) and LLB at Macquarie University and was admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW as a legal practitioner in 1989. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Since her election to the Council of the Law Society of NSW in 2019, Jennifer has served as Chair of the Professional Conduct Committee, Chair of the Audit Risk & Finance Committee, and as a member of the Litigation Law & Practice Committee. She has held the offices of Junior Vice President (2023) and Senior Vice President (2024).

Jennifer is a former Chair of Turnaround Management Association Australia, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to corporate renewal and turnaround management and restructuring. 

She also serves the legal profession and system of justice through her positions as Director of the Law Council of Australia and the NSW Legal Profession Admission Board. 

Requests for media interviews

Requests for media interviews with the President should be directed to the Law Society of New South Wales Media Adviser on: 0417 788 947 or damien.smith@lawsociety.com.au 

The Law Society of New South Wales President's Medal

President's Medal

The Law Society of New South Wales President's Medal is an annual award that recognises a NSW solicitor and Law Society member who has made a significant personal and professional contribution to the improvement of law and justice in the community. 

Nominations for the 2023 President's Medal will open in August 2023.

You can see the list of past President's Medal winners here.

A person may be nominated for the Law Society’s President’s Medal if the following criteria are satisfied:

  1. The person must be a current or former NSW solicitor and a member of The Law Society of New South Wales.  Currently serving Law Society Councillors are excluded from nomination.
  2. The person is of high standing in the NSW legal profession.
  3. The person has made a personal and professional contribution which demonstrates achievements in one of more of the following areas:
  • improvement in community access to justice
  • improvement in NSW or national legal policy or legislation which delivers significant benefits to the NSW community
  • significant service or support to NSW solicitors
  • promotion or defence of the rule of law
  • improvements in the administration of justice in NSW.

Persons may self nominate or be nominated by someone else via the President's Medal nomination portal. Currently serving Law Society Councillors are excluded from nomination. Each nomination must be accompanied by documentation which:

  • outlines relevant current and previous professional positions held by the nominee
  • explicitly addresses each of the three eligibility criteria
  • provides the names and contact details of at least two referees who may be asked to attest to the achievements on which the nomination is based.
  • Completed nominations must be received by the due date.

If you would like more information please email councilsupportunit@lawsociety.com.au.

Nominations are assessed and the successful candidate determined by a selection panel comprising three people. It is chaired by the President of the Law Society.

The selection panel receives written applications and may elect to undertake interviews with candidates or to seek further information from those nominating the person. Cross checks are also made with Professional Standards to ensure that those being considered are fit and proper persons.