What made you join Council? MM: I first joined Council after having been a member of one the Society’s special interest committees for a couple of years and wanted to become more involved in matters affecting the profession. How much of a commitment is Council? MM: It can vary depending on your level of involvement and it can be quite flexible. What are your main responsibilities as a member of Council? MM: To provide input into regulatory matters, governance of the Society and develop strategy for the Society. How do you manage full-time work as a lawyer and voluntary work for the Law Society? MM: I don’t sleep! Kidding. I find it relatively easy to fit into my schedule, particularly given the ability to attend meetings virtually if I have work or caring commitments. Whilst it is an additional commitment it adds some variety to my day. What have you learnt from being involved in Council? MM: It has enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of issues that are faced both within the profession and beyond. When I first joined Council, I did not fully appreciate the breadth of work that the Society does for the profession and the community and it has enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of issues faced. It has also assisted me in learning more about other practice areas and corporate governance. What are some of the rewarding aspects of being on Council? MM: One of the most rewarding aspects of being on Council is the ability to be able to influence and shape policy for the profession and implement ideas for the benefit of our members. To what extent has being on Council enabled you to interact with and meet members of the profession? MM: It has enabled me to meet a number of practitioners who I may not have otherwise encountered in a professional capacity. I have developed some great friendships with fellow council members over the years. Has being on Council been beneficial to your career in private practice? MM: It has been without even trying. I have made a number of connections through being on Council and the Executive which have not only led to a number of work opportunities (both from lawyers and those outside of the profession) but has assisted when I have faced an issue in an area of practice that I’m not an expert in (i.e. family law!) and I can simply call one of my colleagues on Council to discuss.
What made you join Council? NH: I wanted to be involved in the strategic direction of the profession and understand how the profession’s governance works. How much of a commitment is Council? NH: It can vary, depending on how much involvement you choose to have. It can vary from 2-3 hours per month to 2-3 hours per week if you want to be involved or there are complex agenda items you wish to raise/comment on or champion. What are your main responsibilities as a member of Council? NH: Represent Members’ interest in the direction of the Society and issues impacting Members. How do you manage full-time work as a lawyer and voluntary work for the Law Society? NH: As most commitments are outside of work hours, and hybrid meetings are offered, I do not find it overly burdensome. What have you learnt from being involved in Council? NH: Corporate governance experience and the process for decision making. What are some of the rewarding aspects of being on Council? NH: Connecting with colleagues outside of my immediate firm or professional circle/s. To what extent has being on Council enabled you to interact with and meet members of the profession? NH: Greatly and from different sectors/practice areas and career stages. Has being on Council been beneficial to your career in private practice? NH: Yes for the reasons above.
What made you join Council? FB: I joined Council as a junior lawyer in 1988 as I wanted to learn. I joined again in 2018 as the President of the day thought I could contribute. As I rated the President, I thought I should take up the suggestion. How much of a commitment is Council? FB: The Council takes time to get across the myriad of issues more than anything else as the Law Society covers many topics. As I am on the Executive, I cannot separate out the time for Council alone, but I would suggest that including meetings it is half a day a month. What are your main responsibilities as Treasurer? FB: "Asking why we are spending money and where do we risk losing revenue". Seriously, it is all about keeping an eye on how we are travelling in terms of dollars, risk and sustainability of the business model – we are in good nick but you need to keep an eye on the basics to make sure we don’t fall over in the medium term. My focus is the Fidelity Fund so that is where I spend most of my time. I always remember we are spending "other people's money" (OPM). How do you manage full-time work as a lawyer and voluntary work for the Law Society? FB: Simply prioritise work first and find time for the LSSA after that. No different to other voluntary roles. What are some of the rewarding aspects of being on Council as Treasurer? FB: Interacting with the staff at a senior level on all manner of issues and collaborating on interesting topics. Managing the cyber breach taught me a lot. I could never learn that in my day job. To what extent has being on Council enabled you to interact with and meet members of the profession? FB: I have engaged broadly with people in the profession in a non-adversarial way. The day job is less of that. The LSSA reinforces my view that we are collegiate which is good . However we need to hold to the standards of our profession and the conduct that we accept and those we call out. That is the challenging part of the profession. The LSSA is a membership organisation and a regulator. That can be challenging. Has being on Council as Treasurer been beneficial to your career in private practice? FB: It has been beneficial to my community service ethic. It has not assisted practice per se but it has enhanced the job as I am more engaged in the profession. I have a new appreciation of different ways of doing things from acknowledged leaders in their respective fields and that is always a good thing to learn from.
What made you join Council? RP: A desire to give back to the profession. How much of a commitment is Council? RP: Depending on the meeting, monthly meetings of about 1-2 hours, and reading Council papers which can take about 2-4 hours. Some additional meeting and preparation hours may be required if you are also a member of a sub-committee or working group of the Council. What are your main responsibilities as a member of Council? RP: To have a broad understanding of what is happening at the Society and in the profession. How do you manage full-time work as a lawyer and voluntary work for the Law Society? RP: Most Council meetings are conducted after core business hours, and with an option for virtual attendance. This makes attendance more manageable. What have you learnt from being involved in Council? RP: I have better learnt about the regulation of the legal profession (locally, and interstate), initiatives undertaken by the Society to assist Members of the profession, and the various projects developed by Members of the profession to give back to the community. To what extent has being on Council enabled you to interact with and meet members of the profession? RP: It has been great to meet Members from all parts of the profession: in house counsel, community legal centres, private practice, and the public sector.