President

Brett McGrath

Before commencing his term as the President of the Law Society of NSW for 2024, Brett McGrath was the Partner in charge of Family Dispute Resolution department at Marsdens Law Group, the firm where he commenced his legal career in 2012.

In 2018 Brett joined the national firm Gadens, practicing exclusively in family law, before becoming a Registrar with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in 2019. He was appointed Senior Registrar in November 2020 and Senior Judicial Registrar in 2021.

Brett served as the President of the Macarthur Regional Law Society from 2014-2018 before being elected to the Council of the NSW Law Society of NSW in 2018, becoming Treasurer in 2020.

He has been active on the Law Society’s Family Law, Diversity and Inclusion, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees along with serving as Chair of the Audit, Risk & Finance Committee and Deputy Chair of the Professional Conduct Committee.

Brett attended Western Sydney University where he earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and where he also returned to lecture and teach the next generation of lawyers in Family Law, Advanced Family Law and Family Dispute Resolution subjects from 2016. 

Brett is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and has extensive experience in corporate governance. 

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 phone: 0417 788 947 or mobile damien.smith@lawsociety.com.au    

Follow the Presidents Twitter account @LSNSW_President

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.