New Lawyers CPD Afternoon

With great pleasure, the Law Society's New Lawyers Committee is hosting an afternoon seminar designed specifically for upcoming, young, and new lawyers. Early-career solicitors will get two sessions of training in the afternoon that will provide them with practical tools to advance their careers.

This afternoon will include two sessions and an extended afternoon tea break for networking with your peers. 

Mastering the Essentials: Billing, Time and File Management: Tips for Early-Career Lawyers 

Presented by Michael James (Gadens Trinity Law) and James Page (Moray & Agnew)
1 point in Core area 2 - Practice management and business skills

As an early-career lawyer, effectively managing your time, accurately billing clients, and staying organised with your filings are critical skills for success. This session will provide practical guidance on how to track your billable hours, ensure accurate and ethical billing practices, and balance the demands of your workload. We'll also cover essential filing tips to help you stay organised, meet deadlines, and avoid common pitfalls. You'll gain insights into how to prioritise tasks, manage your time efficiently, and meet the expectations of your firm or practice. 

Key Takeaways: 
Billing and Time Recording: Learn best practices for tracking your time, billing clients accurately, and avoiding common mistakes that can lead to underbilling or disputes. 
Filing Tips: Discover strategies for organising your documents, ensuring timely filings, and maintaining a smooth workflow to meet court and client deadlines. 
Time Management: Gain practical tools and techniques for managing your time effectively, balancing competing demands, and staying on top of your workload without sacrificing quality. 
Meeting Expectations: Understand what is expected of you in your early career, from professionalism in client interactions to delivering high-quality work on time. 
This session will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to navigate the administrative and organisational requirements, helping you build a strong foundation for long-term success. 

 

Officer of the court: Professional responsibility and advocacy

Presented by Andrew Herring (North Herring Lawyers)
1 point in Core area 1 - Legal ethics and professional responsibility

As an early-career lawyer, it is imperative to understand the duty you have to the court, and as a result, how this informs your conduct, advocacy and responsibilities. As an officer of the court, your paramount duty is to the court as part of the administration of justice. This session by Andrew Herring will provide practice guidance on (i) a lawyer's professional responsibilities when engaging with the Court and (ii) navigating potential tensions that can arise with this paramount duty. Andrew will discuss the importance of professional responsibilities (duties to the court and to the administration of justice, undertakings), advocacy (written advocacy and ethics in advocacy) and professional courtesy (to the court and in advocacy).

DETAILS

• When: Friday 8 November 2024  I  1:30pm - 4:15pm (registration opens from 1pm)
• Where: Johnson Auditorium, Pilgrim House Conference Centre, 69 Northbourne Ave, Canberra City 2601
• CPD: Members will earn 2 CPD points
• Cost: New Lawyers and Student members - $25, Members - $50, Non-members $70
• Registrations close Monday 4 November
• Afternoon tea will be provided

Are you currently studying and would like to attend but not a member? Student memberships are $25 for 12 months and entitle you to student pricing on eligible events. Click here to sign up or contact memberconnect@actlawsociety.asn.au for assistance.

 

MEET THE SPEAKERS

MICHAEL JAMES

PARTNER
GADENS TRINITY LAW

Michael is a nationally recognised leading property lawyer with over 30 years’ experience. A three time winner of the REIACT Solicitor of the Year, and past Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s Australian Property Law Group, he is passionately interested in the evolution of real property laws, particularly where opportunities exist to achieve “best practice” nationally consistent law. He heads the Private Client Division of Gadens Trinity Law, supervising our large private conveyancing and wills/estates practice, and other private client services. He has an extensive client base, with an emphasis on long term and trusted relationships. He enjoys presenting seminars to other lawyers and professional groups on a wide range of legal issues, meeting with Government on law reform, but is equally comfortable in discussing complex or sophisticated matters with clients in a practical, and commercially informed manner.

JAMES PAGE

ASSOCIATE
MORAY & AGNEW

James is an associate at Moray & Agnew, admitted in 2021. He has undergraduate degrees in law and accounting and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney. He practises in insurance litigation, with a particular focus on defending negligence claims against a range of professionals, including legal and medical practitioners. He enjoys the challenges of litigation and is no stranger to the struggles of managing a diverse and demanding workload.

ANDREW HERRING

SOLICITOR DIRECTOR
NORTH HERRING LAWYERS

Andrew is a Solicitor Director of North Herring Lawyers, a mid-sized general practice firm. He has worked in litigation and dispute resolution for 22 years, and in 2008 was accredited as a specialist in advocacy by the Law Society of NSW. In 2018 he successfully undertook the NSW Bar Examinations but elected to continue working as a solicitor advocate, rather than accepting a call to the bar. In 2022 he was appointed as an Adjunct Lecturer with the College of Law PLT program, leading workshops in Advocacy and teaching the PLT coursework program. He is a member of the ACT Law Society’s Professional Ethics and Criminal Law committees.

 

Reduced rates may be available to some of our members to ensure equal training opportunities. Please make contact to discuss your eligibility.