Family law is an area where a client may have expectations that a lawyer can do or take action against the other party which may not be appropriate. In this area of practice, being an ethical lawyer is more important than ever. We spoke to family lawyer and College of Law lecturer Kathryn Kearley to explore the critical connection between legal expertise and professional conduct. We explore the ethical challenges that family lawyers encounter.

This is your guide to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for lawyers across each Australian state. The CPD year runs from 1 April to 31 March, except for Tasmania, where it runs from 1 May to 30 April.

The law is a complex field heavily reliant on knowledge, interpretation and advice. This makes for a profession that can have far reaching consequences and, as a result, lawyers are held to high standards. Athol Opas presents annual ethics updates to firms to keep them abreast of recent cases of misconduct and/or common ethical breaches. We spoke to Athol to find out about the most common ethical breaches lawyers should be mindful of and to gain his top tips on complying within ethical obligations. 

The milestone of Justice Jayne Jagot’s appointment to the High Court and a female majority for the first time in history masks hidden inequities across Australia’s legal profession. The College of Law looks into the realities of gender inequality that persists across Australia’s legal profession. 

Insights has compiled a helpful guide to meeting the legal profession’s requirements of being a ‘fit and proper person, with recent examples of lawyers who have failed to meet these requirements.