President’s Message

Another challenging year comes to a close, but commitment to welfare of the profession continues

REBECCA SANDFORD, PRESIDENT

As the end of 2021 approaches, I’m finding it hard - despite the reminders each time I walk through Rundle Mall and enjoy the Christmas decorations - to believe how fast this year has gone, and how much has occurred in only 12 short months.

At the start of my Presidential term, I indicated an intention to focus on a few key priorities this year - in particular, mental health and wellbeing support for the profession; increasing diversity and taking further steps to address sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination in the law; and considering the use of and role for technology in the delivery of legal services. I’m pleased that I’ve been able to take steps to address each of those throughout this year.

I have been especially proud of work the Society has undertaken in relation to wellbeing, resilience and mental health support for the profession. Early in my Presidency, the Society commissioned a mental wellbeing survey, in a similar vein to the 2020 survey conducted by the International Bar Association, to ‘take the temperature’ of the local profession on this important topic. The survey results have already been discussed in articles in this publication, and continue to be the subject of consideration by the Wellbeing and Resilience Committee, with the Society maintaining a focus on further strategies to ensure legal practitioners can be better supported in managing and maintaining their mental health and wellbeing into the future.

Whilst in some respects this year has been less tumultuous than 2020, it has certainly not been without its challenges, and there have been plenty of reminders of the importance of appropriate help and support being accessible to all of us - including during our short lockdown in July. I know that for many, dealing with the uncertainties and restrictions arising from the pandemic has been very difficult, and your resilience and endeavours in dealing with those challenges are to be commended. I have found it reassuring that many of the practitioners I spoke with have, or are gaining, an increased awareness of the importance of mental health support and are actively taking steps to embed a wellbeing focus in their approach to legal practice. I have been grateful for the chance to speak with many of you, including many of our small practice solicitors, during the course of 2021 and I thank each of you who generously shared your experiences with me.

For that reason, amongst others, I am also glad to have chosen the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation as the President’s charity for 2021. I have thoroughly enjoyed the relationship that has been built between the Society and the Foundation during the year and the opportunity to learn from the important work of the Foundation. Raising over $11,000 at the Legal Profession Dinner in August to help the Foundation kick off its Big Talks for Little People program in SA schools was definitely a highlight of my year (not to mention that it confirmed my long held view that wine walls really are the adult version of a lucky dip - and just as popular!), and it was also very pleasing that this year saw the victorious return of the Great Debate during Mental Health Week - a well-attended, and well received, event that allowed us to take a more humorous look at some aspects of the last 12 or so months, with our speakers doing an excellent job of debating whether WFH = LAW (i.e. Work From Home really means Living At Work).

Work on the topic of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination has also been a top priority throughout this year. As I have said in various forums, including in each of the multiple presentations I have delivered or chaired this year, we all have a part to play in transforming the culture of the legal profession to make it more inclusive and welcoming, and to ensure we can each feel safe, valued and respected in our workplaces. It has been heartening to see how the profession has grappled with this challenge and taken real steps to implement change and provide support. I am particularly proud that since its introduction in June 2021, the Society’s “Sexual Harassment - Changing Workplace Culture” workshop has been attended virtually by over 1850 lawyers in SA, with a further 120 practitioners also attending a bystander intervention session by Trish Lowe in November. Multiple CPDs have also been run by other bodies both prior to and since the delivery of the (Acting) Equal Opportunity Commissioner’s comprehensive Report in April this year, all of which can only help to inform and educate the profession about this issue and what needs to be done to address it.

The Society, and others within the profession, have also taken meaningful action towards other recommendations in the Inquiry Report, including amending the Legal Profession Conduct Rules to ensure a single set of Rules applies to the entirety of the SA profession (and incorporating a new, more expansive prohibition against bullying and harassment), and work undertaken at both a state and national level for legislative change and with respect to model policies and procedures. Before 2021 concludes, my expectation is that the Law Council’s National Model Policy Framework and accompanying Guidance Notes - the development of which the Society has contributed to as a constituent body of the Law Council throughout this year - will be available for practitioners to commence using as a ‘best practice’ approach or reference tool.