Why you should complete your Practice Management Course at the Law Society of NSW

The Law Society offers its practice management course in both blended and online formats. The first blended course, to be held on 2, 9 and 16 May 2025, will feature speakers covering topics on ethics and professional responsibility, practice management and business skills and professional skills.

Linden Barnes and Paul Monaghan, Senior Ethics Solicitors at the Law Society of NSW will both be presenting. “It is a practical course by its nature … we usually go through those rules that we use a great deal in practice,” says Monaghan.

“Say looking at duties of the court, client and profession, advising clients, instructions and dealing with conflicts.

“I also talk about dealing with complaints because now you are the principal of a firm, or the managing partner, or someone senior. It’s generally going to be you that will have to address issues of complaints from everyone; clients, other lawyers, the Courts, maybe from us,” says Monaghan.

The session will feature different practical scenarios for attendees to work through. The purpose is to encourage practitioners to consider the various scenarios and increase their awareness of the conduct rules, professional standards and their obligations as legal practitioners.

While some lawyers choose to do the course to start their own firms, others may have been promoted to partner. Whatever the reason, Barnes says it’s not just about taking on the responsibilities of that particular role. “It’s also about taking on a more responsible role in the legal profession. You’re leading a little bit more … the mentor rather than the mentee because you are becoming more senior in the profession,” says Barnes.

Monaghan agrees and adds that it is a course that becomes more “bespoke” to the attendees. For those who are branching out on their own, you are not alone.

Monaghan explains that the Law Society provides support for lawyers through the professional support unit, and offers a range of precedents, documents and areas practitioners can seek specialist guidance on. “We’ve got a number of very good committees hence the Law Society’s practice management course tends to be geared to provide those services … and also to become the friend … at the other end of the phone for sole practitioners, small and medium firms, larger firms … Linden has a very big role in addressing the needs of regional law societies…,” he says.

Monaghan also points out that there are 43 rules, and legal practitioners should be across all of them as they are all related. Barnes adds that practising law is more than just a business, it is a profession. From an ethical perspective, pursuant to our obligations under rule three of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015, “we’re an officer of the court before we’re a business owner … that’s got to override and inform everything we do,” she says.

“[T]he Law Society provides ongoing support to everyone who does our course,” says Monaghan.

Presenters from the Law Society’s Trust Accounts Department and Lawcover will also speak at the practice management course.

Caryn Sandler, partner and Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer at Gilbert + Tobin, will be presenting on “Innovation in technology for legal practice.” When it comes to the importance of innovation for lawyers, “in the context of the current environment with … generative AI (GenAI) and other technologies, it is critical for lawyers,” she says.

Sandler says, “[I]t is critical for lawyers in that we will be working alongside the technology … we’re already seeing evidence of this. …

“AI is incredibly powerful. It obviously has large application to legal [practice] given it is generative in nature. …[I]n the context of drafting … review capability, summarisation, research, it really has knowledge work in sight,” she says.

She acknowledges that we are seeing a multidisciplinary approach to the way legal services are being delivered and says that “I think that trend will absolutely continue.”

Sandler encourages legal practitioners to sign up to the course and attend the session because it “is an absolute must given we are on the cusp of something quite significant in the practice of law. … [I]t is so important to understand the technology.

“[I]nnovation does not equal technology … but it is absolutely critical to understand the technology, both the opportunities it presents and also the risks it presents as well,” she says.

The past few years have seen great developments in the types of artificial intelligence and legal technology products available on the market. Sandler believes it is important to understand what’s available and the opportunities and risks presented. “I think the reality is our clients will be demanding the use of this technology in delivery of legal services … I think there are lots of benefits that this technology can actually unleash for lawyers.”

Sandler shares an recent anecdote of someone who had used technology to improve efficiency. In a particular task the person was doing, it used to take the person 20 minutes to do the more mundane work and 10 minutes for the real analysis, but they were able to “flip” the time around. This is a “real positive for the work that we do…,” she says.

Sandler points out that GenAI has different applications and can be used to streamline traditionally voluminous and time-consuming work such as repeated review of contracts, diligence, discovery and more.

For lawyers, this raises questions over billing and how law firms can bill clients for work completed with the assistance of AI. Sandler acknowledges that “is obviously a topic of hot discussion in the legal industry … the reality is things will change.

“It is important to note that if you do not engage with the technology, if you do not engage with the innovation. I think organisations … and law firms will be left behind,” she says.

Practice Management course: May 2025 – blended will be held on Friday 2, 9, & 16 May 2025. For more information about the practice manage course, please visit LawInform.