9.30am: Welcome

9.35am – 10.35am: Professional Skills: Cultural humility and the language of inclusion.

Speaker: Florence Thum, Assistant Director, NSW PLT and Lecture, The College of Law, NSW 

Legal practice occurs in diverse contexts with diverse people. This seminar addresses the importance of cultural humility, and how legal practitioners can exercise inclusion through the use of language.

10.35am – 10.45am: Stretch break

10.45am – 11:45am: Ethics and professional responsibility: Right to Disconnect

Speaker: Cathryn Urquhart, Facilitator, Legal Practice Management Course, College of Law, WA

Everyone is talking about the "Right to Disconnect" as there has been new legislation providing guidance about this. How do legal practices prepare and support compliance and what are the protocols with clients, legal practice, and within teams?

This session reviews existing and new guidelines to consider the impact in legal practice and how can lawyers and firms balance the right to disconnect. The session will also review WHS and ethical obligations, such as duties owed to the court and clients, and duties to supervise.

11.45am – 12.00pm: Stretch break

12.00pm – 1.00pm: Practice management and business skills: Essential insights for legal professionals: claims, conflicts, client and cyber risk management.

Speaker: Glenda Carry, Legal Risk Manager, Lawcover

The topics of this session include:

• The latest trends in professional negligence claims, including common areas of exposure and the implications for legal practitioners. Identifying patterns in claims and developing strategies to mitigate potential risks.
• Explore the concept of conflict creep and learn about best practices for identifying, managing, and avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Practice tips for managing challenging cases and keeping complex matters moving and on track.
• Cyber Risk: This topic will highlight causes of cyber claims in legal practice and discuss practical risk management strategies to help mitigate the risk.

1.00pm: Close 

This short course is ideal for all legal practitioners who wish to successfully complete their mandatory requirements outlined in the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

This webinar is produced in NSW and features practitioners based in NSW and WA. This webinar is available to practitioners from all Australian jurisdictions.

All times listed for this course are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

If you intend to claim CPD units for this educational activity, please note that CPD activities are not accredited by the Law Society of NSW or any other equivalent local authority, with the exception of Western Australia. If you hold a practising certificate in a state or territory other than Western Australia and this educational activity extends your knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to your practice needs or professional development, then you should claim one (1) "unit” for each hour of attendance, refreshment breaks not included. The annual requirement is ten (10) CPD units each year from 1 April to 31 March. Some practitioners, such as accredited specialists are required to complete more than ten (10) units each CPD year.

Practitioners holding WA practising certificates are eligible to earn CPD points for this course. For instructions to earn CPD points, please click here.  

Ethics and professional responsibility – 1 point

Practice management and business skills – 1 point

Professional skills – 1 point

Florence Thum

Assistant Director, NSW PLT and Lecture, The College of Law, NSW  

Florence Thum is the Assistant Director, NSW PLT and Lecturer at The College of Law teaching postgraduate practical legal training and dispute resolution. She is also Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group at The College of Law. A former litigation and dispute resolution lawyer, Florence holds postgraduate qualifications in law, psychotherapy and education.

As a Psychotherapist, Certified Trauma Practitioner and Coach, Florence consults on empowering professionals to maximise their capabilities and agency through her values- and strengths-based practice.

Florence’s professional interests include developing professional skills for the modern workplace integrating technological and human capacities, advocating for workplace wellbeing, and empowering young people to be their best.

Cathryn Urquhart

Facilitator, Legal Practice Management Course, The College of Law, WA

Cathryn Urquhart studied Law at the University of Western Australia and was admitted in WA in 1988. 

She has had a diverse career working for national law firms mainly in Insurance and Construction litigation, as well as time spent as a Claims Solicitor at Law Mutual, the professional indemnity insurance section of the Law Society of WA. She has lectured and tutored at universities in WA. 

Currently, Cathryn is the Facilitator of the Legal Practice Management Course at the College of Law in WA. She also has her own business and works for a range of law firms and other businesses as a Professional Skills Trainer and Coach.

Glenda Carry

Legal Risk Manager, Lawcover

Glenda was admitted to the Australian legal profession in 2014 and shortly after commenced her role as a Regulatory Compliance Solicitor with the Law Society of NSW from where she joined Lawcover in the role of Legal Risk Manager in September 2021.

Prior to this Glenda was admitted as a solicitor in Ireland in 2006 and practised primarily in the areas of litigation, wills and estates and property law. Glenda studied law and commerce in her undergraduate degree and went on to complete a post-graduate course in marketing practice at the UCD Graduate School of Business, Dublin, Ireland. With her background in business and marketing as well as law, Glenda has a keen interest in law practice management with a particular focus on promoting the benefits of good risk management.

Please be aware that this course organised by the College of Law may be recorded for use on our websites, marketing materials and publications. By attending and participating in a College of Law Continuing Professional Development course, you consent to the College of Law photographing or recording and using your image and likeness and/or voice.