Specialist Accreditation
Specialist Accreditation
Law Society of South Australia
Click here for a list of LSSA Accredited Specialists
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What is an Accredited Specialist?
How do I become an Accredited Specialist?
Mutual Recognition - Have your
accreditation recognised in another State
An Accredited
Specialist is a lawyer recognised as having expertise in a particular
area of law. Law Society of South Australia (LSSA) Accredited
Specialists:
·
have at
least five years full-time practice experience and at least three years
practice experience in their area of specialisation;
·
maintain a high degree of professional development in their area of
specialisation, which involves the continual development of their
skills;
·
pass a
comprehensive assessment process testing technical knowledge, writing
and practical advocacy skills; and
·
apply
for re-accreditation every three years, ensuring the highest standards
are maintained.
How can I tell if my lawyer
is an Accredited Specialist?
Only practitioners
who complete an LSSA Accredited Specialist course of assessment can call
themselves an Accredited Specialist. You can easily recognise any lawyer
who displays the Accredited Specialist logo and certificate of
accreditation.
Why use an Accredited
Specialist?
Choosing the right
lawyer is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. When
you choose a lawyer who is an Accredited Specialist you:
·
can
expect experience and expertise in a particular area of law;
·
can
expect a high standard of professionalism;
·
are
choosing a lawyer who is recognised as having an enhanced level of skill
and a commitment to achieving higher levels of expertise through ongoing
professional development.
Accredited Specialists
raising the standard
Accredited
Specialists are required to maintain a high level of education
involvement in their areas of specialty by:
·
ensuring that the speciality remains a substantial part of their
practice;
·
maintaining a higher level of continuing professional development than
other lawyers; and
·
continually striving to improve the standing of their firm.
How do I find an Accredited Specialist?
A list of all Law
Society of South Australia Accredited Specialists is available by
clicking here
In June
2005 the Council of the Law Society of South Australia resolved to enter
into an agreement with the Law Institute of Victoria to enable members
of the Law Society of South Australia to undertake the program to become
accredited specialists. Due to jurisdictional differences the specialist
areas of law available to Law Society of South Australia members is
restricted to areas of practice specified by the Council of the Law
Society.
Specialist
Accreditation is an assessment based selection process which identifies
and acknowledges lawyers who have a high level of technical skill, but
more importantly, are able to demonstrate the practical application of
those skills via an assessment program. Depending on the specialist
area, assessment will often involve a combination of written and oral
submissions, mock or simulated interviews and written examinations.
Where possible assessment will take place in South Australia however
travel to Victoria is likely to be required for mock or simulated
interview type assessments.
Application
Guidelines are published for each area of accreditation on offer. These
guidelines detail the types of assessment and when they will be run, as
well as the core areas of knowledge for which you will need to display a
working knowledge to successfully complete the assessment process.
Where relevant, South Australian representatives will be sourced to
be involved in the planning and marking of assessments, however it is
not uncommon for the Application Guidelines and assessments to include
references or questions that will require a variation in the response
according to the jurisdiction within which you work. These should be
obvious and South Australian applicants respond according to the South
Australian jurisdiction.
The Specialisation
scheme is administered by the Specialisation Board, a committee of the
Law Institute of Victoria Council. The Law Society of South Australia
Education Section and the LIV Specialisation Department handle the daily
operations.
For
further information, please read the Specialisation Scheme Rules
available by
clicking here.
NOTE: Applications
for 2010 closed on 14 May 2010. A list of Specialist Areas offered in
2011, Application Guidelines and Application Forms will be available
from this website toward the end of 2010.
Mutual Recognition - Have your accreditation recognised in another State
The Law Societies in
each jurisdiction have worked together to develop a framework for a
national mutual recognition policy that enables practitioners to have
their accreditation gained in one State recognised in another state in
certain circumstances.
Gaining mutual
recognition may enable specialists who work in more than one State to
maximise the opportunity to promote the services they offer.
If you have moved
inter-State with your firm, or are currently required to service clients
in more than one State, you may be eligible to have your accreditation
recognised both here in SA and in other States in which you are
practising.
The Specialist
Accreditation Mutual Recognition Policy has been designed to cater for
legal practitioners who:
-
practise in a
location close to a border and who are likely to draw clients from
both States,
-
practise in two
or more States and who deal with clients from those States, and
-
relocate their
practice to a State different to that of their original
accreditation.
Please read the full policy on Mutual Recognition by
clicking here.
To
apply for Mutual Recognition in South
Australia please download the application form by
clicking here.
For
further information, please contact the Law Society Education Section on
08 8410 5865 or email
specialist@lawsocietysa.asn.au
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