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Snapshot

  • The Law Society’s Professional Support Unit (‘PSU‘) provides confidential information and guidance to assist practitioners to comply with their obligations under legal profession legislation. 
  • This article presents examples of some of the kinds of enquiries the PSU’s regulatory compliance team has received during the pandemic.  
  • If you have an enquiry, you can contact the Regulatory Compliance Team on 02 9926 0115 or at: [email protected]

Q. I am an in-house lawyer and, due to a significant reduction in turnover in the business, I’ve accepted a redundancy package from my current employer. A friend who is a principal of a law practice has offered me a role as a senior associate with her law practice. Do I need to notify the Law Society about my change of position?

A. When changing roles, one of the first considerations is whether your current practising certificate authorises you to practise in the new role. Section 47 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) (‘Uniform Law’) specifies categories of practising certificates and practising entitlements. Pursuant to s 47 (1), the Council of the Law Society may only issue the following practising certificates: as a principal of a law practice, an employee of a law practice, a corporate legal practitioner, a government legal practitioner, or both as a volunteer at a community legal service and otherwise on a pro bono basis only. An Australian legal practitioner may hold only one Australian practising certificate.

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