Law Society of New South Wales explained

Formation:1842 (formally 1884)
Language:English
Key People:Brett McGrath, PresidentKenneth Tickle, CEO
Law Society of New South Wales
Location:New South Wales, Australia

The Law Society of New South Wales is a professional association which represents over 42,000 solicitors in Australia.[1] [2] The Law Society has statutory powers and regulates the practice of law in New South Wales.[3]

The Law Society of NSW encourages debate and actively drives law reform issues through policy submissions[4] and open dialogue with governments, parliamentary bodies, the courts and the New South Wales Department of Justice. It ensures the general public has appropriate access to justice and can be easily connected to members of the profession when they require legal advice.

Along with the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner, the Law Society sets and enforces professional standards,[5] licenses solicitors to practise, investigates complaints and administers discipline to ensure both the community and the profession are properly served by ethical and responsible solicitors.

History

The Law Society was informally started in 1842.[6] In 1884, the society was formalized as "The Incorporated Law Institute of New South Wales", and had its first annual meeting the following year.

In 1960, the institute was renamed to "The Law Society of New South Wales". In 1963, the Society started publishing The Law Society Journal. The society also established the College of Law in 1973, the Legal Practitioners Act 1987 (NSW), Law Industry Superannuation Trust (LIST) and LawCare in 1989, and the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner in 1992. Vis-a-vis the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner (OLSC), alternatively, according to a 1994 leaflet from the OLSC, the OLSC was set up by the NSW government not the Law Society, and in July 1994 not 1992, by way of an amendment to the Legal Profession Act 1987, in particular Part 10. The 1987 Act was repealed in 2005 and replaced with the Legal Profession Act 2004 - in particular see Part 7.3.

List of presidents

YearNameEmployer
1884–1891John Williams[7] NSW Crown Solicitor
1892–1908William Pigott[8]
1909–11F Curtiss
1912–14EA Smith
1915–17HCE Rich
1918–20AM Hemsley[9]
1921–23AC Stephen
1924–26DW Roxburgh
1927–29MAH Fitzhardinge
1930–32AN Littlejohn
1933–35JE Gosling
1936APN Dalrymple
1937–39WG Forsyth
1940JW Stevenson
1941–43WJ Baldock
1944–45JG Crowther
1946D Barron
1947–49Arthur E. AbbottParner, Garland Seaborn & Abbott
1950GA Yuill
1951–52RZ de Ferranti
1953–54WER Francis
1955–56LW Taylor
1957–58TGD Marshall
1959NL Cowper
1960–61John WatlingPartner, Sly & Russell
1962–63K Smithers
1964–65BJ McDonald
1966–67WRD Stevenson
1968–69CH Dunlop
1970–71JK Bowen
1972–73JR Broadbent
1974–75Alan Loxton
1976–77MM Hooke
1978DG Barr
1979DG Mackay
1980AJ Mitchell
1981MJ Gill
1982Mahla Pearlman
1983DE McLachlan
1984Rod McGeoch
1985F Herron
1986Kim A Garling
1987KH Dufty
1988WV Windeyer
1989BE Thornton
1990GM Roberson
1991DA de Carvalho
1992John R MarsdenFounding Partner, Marsdens Law Group
1993John NelsonPartner, Gadens
1994DG Fairlie
1995DM Stack
1996ND Lyall
1997PV Fair
1998Ron K Heinrich
1999Margaret C Hole
2000John FS North
2001Nick K Meagher
2002Kim Cull
2003Robert JC Benjamin
2004Gordon A Salier
2005John E McIntyre
2006June McPhie
2007Geoff J Dunlevy[10] Partner, Rhodes Kildea
2008Hugh I Macken
2009Joseph J Catanzariti[11] Partner, Clayton Utz
2010Mary J Macken
2011Stuart D Westgarth[12] Partner, HWL Ebsworth
2012Justin J Dowd[13] Partner, Watts McCray
2013John C Dobson[14]
2014Ros E Everett[15] Partner, Everett Evans
2015John F Eades[16] Partner, Noyce, Salmon & D'Aquino
2016Gary S Ulman[17] Partner, Minter Ellison
2017Pauline WrightPartner, PJ Donnellan & Co
2018Doug Humphreys OAM[18]
2019Elizabeth Espinosa[19]
2020Richard Harvey[20]
2021Juliana WarnerPartner, Herbert Smith Freehills
2022Joanne van der PlaatPartner, Blaxland Mawson & Rose
2023Cassandra BanksPartner, CB Legal
2024Brett McGrathPartner, Marsdens Law Group

Structure and organisation

The Law Society is governed by an internal Council, the Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) and the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The Council meets monthly and has 15 elected members who sit for 3 year terms and one appointed member who sits for 1 year. The Council has 1 country lawyer councillor, 1 suburban lawyer councillor, 1 city lawyer councillor, 1 corporate lawyer councillor, 1 government lawyer councillor, 1 large firm lawyer councillor, 1 NSW Young Lawyers councillor (appointed), and 8 general councillors.[21] Law Society Councillors sit on the boards of LawCover (legal insurer), the NSW Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund, the Legal Profession Admissions Board, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (among others).

The Law Society has 23 committees devoted to different aspects of law.

Pro-bono work

The society started a voluntary "Pro Bono Scheme" in 1992.[22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Law Society of New South Wales Homepage. The Law Society of New South Wales. 20 August 2016.
  2. Web site: Professional Standards Council Home. New South Wales Professional Standards Council. 10 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130615222947/http://www.psc.gov.au/psc/psc_index.html. 15 June 2013. dead.
  3. http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/psc/ll_psc.nsf/vwFiles/Scheme_LawSociety_Summary_nsw_20062011.pdf/$file/Scheme_LawSociety_Summary_nsw_20062011.pdf retrieved 2010-10-27
  4. Web site: Policy Submissions 2018 | the Law Society of NSW . www.lawsociety.com.au . 2013-09-24.
  5. Web site: Practising law in NSW | the Law Society of NSW . www.lawsociety.com.au . 2013-09-24.
  6. Web site: Law Society of NSW – History . Lawsociety.com.au . 2012-07-27.
  7. Web site: THE LAW INSTITUTE.. Australian Star . 29 September 1888. 7. Trove.
  8. News: Death of Hon. W. H. Piggot . . 15 March 1909 . 6 . Trove . 2021-05-21.
  9. Web site: SYDNEY LEGAL FIGURE.. West Australian . 13 July 1937. 16. Trove.
  10. http://justinianarchive.com/828-article
    http://justinianarchive.com/833-article
  11. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20091112022911/http://www.lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 12 November 2009.
  12. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20110219091044/http://www.lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 19 February 2011.
  13. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20120514050903/http://lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 14 May 2012.
  14. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20130811103103/http://lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 11 August 2013.
  15. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20140213135129/http://lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 13 February 2014.
  16. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20150320101541/http://www.lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 20 March 2015.
  17. Web site: President | the Law Society of NSW. https://web.archive.org/web/20160418073153/http://www.lawsociety.com.au/about/organisation/president/index.htm. 18 April 2016.
  18. Web site: President's message - 29 October 2018 The Law Society of NSW. 2020-12-21. www.lawsociety.com.au.
  19. Web site: Former Law Society President appointed as Land and Environment Court Commissioner The Law Society of NSW. 2020-12-21. www.lawsociety.com.au.
  20. Web site: Law Society of NSW announces 2021 President The Law Society of NSW. 2020-12-21. www.lawsociety.com.au.
  21. Web site: Law Society of NSW – Council . Lawsociety.com.au . 2012-07-27.
  22. Web site: Law Society of NSW – Pro Bono Scheme . Lawsociety.com.au . 2010-12-28.