From the Editor

Seeking opportunities for the profession to proposer

JUSTIN STEWART-RATTRAY

It is such an honour to follow in the footsteps of previous Presidents who I have always looked up to with awe. I will do my best to continue the work and traditions of those who have served before me.

I am delighted to assume the role after a long stint of 27 years in practice but relatively brief time on the Law Society Council and Executive.

But who doesn’t love a steep learning curve and working under pressure? It’s what we do every day as practitioners.

My ambition sitting on Council and now as the incoming President was and is to give back something to the profession. No set political goals, just a desire to ensure the profession in South Australia stays healthy and gets back firing again as we gradually emerge from the global pandemic – hopefully sooner rather than later.

The current Covid conditions have seen us change the way we work, live and serve Law Society Members. Working from home and being unable to travel for work or recreational purposes has taken its toll. We have become more accustomed to electronic meeting platforms and not seeing clients or the inside of the courtroom has become more of the norm rather than the exception. Whilst these experiences have not always been negative ones, dealing with change is difficult and they have required some adjustment, which has created its fair share of challenges.

My main objective is to support the profession as much as I can and enhance the reputation, prosperity and stability of the profession.

The pandemic has created significant personal and professional challenges over the past two years and I am keen to help guide the profession through these uncertain times. It’s time for the members of the profession to get back out there, prosper and interact again properly with clients, colleagues and other professionals alike. We’re all still in these uncertain times together. The wellbeing and resilience of our profession has been tested but has endured. We need to keep being mindful of the stresses of legal practice and look after each other accordingly.

One of my tasks this year, will be to persuade the pre and post-election politicians of the need to look after our profession and the legal rights of the general community, on key issues which we have recently released. I am keen to: 1. Increase work for South Australian lawyers through exploring networking opportunities and win back some work from various other professional sectors and interstate. 2. Reduce regulation on lawyers and law practices as small businesses, especially in what is still a pandemic recovery period, while maintaining the high professional standards that are essential to the proper functioning of the justice system. 3. Improve the public perception of the legal industry and highlight the many

“good news” stories that the profession has to tell. 4. Strengthen the legal profession and justice system by lobbying for specific reforms and investment as highlighted in the Society’s Key Election Issues

Document.

As we head into a State Election year, it is important that we maintain and build good relationships with all sides of politics, but remain strictly apolitical as we agitate for greater investment in the legal profession, increased access to justice, and a legislature that is consultative and makes laws that respect the rule of law and protect the integrity and independence of the justice system.

By way of update: • On 6 December 2021 the Law Society

Council decided to adopt the new Legal

Profession Conduct Rules that apply to the entire SA profession; • A CPD program on the Legal

Profession Conduct Rules will delivered by Ethics & Practice; • On 3 December the Professional

Standards Council approved the new Professional Standards Scheme, which is awaiting approval by the

Attorney General and will launch on 1 July 2022; and • The Society’s new Strategic plan for the Profession will be finalised at the

Executive Retreat in February 2022. The

Retreat sets aside a whole day for the

Executive to discuss big picture issues, future plans and policies to support the profession, and approve the strategic plan. I look forward to implementing the strategic plan and informing Members of the outcomes of the Retreat.

I am keen to ensure the Members know the Society is responsive to their needs and I am always keen to hear the views of any member on any topic.

I am accessible and I look forward to working with members to represent their voice and stand up for the profession. B February 2022 THE BULLETIN 5