This session was recorded on 14 March 2024 as part of the Key knowledge for commercial lawyers: Mandatory rule 6.1 – live webinar.

Hear from legal experts in this live online course as they discuss some of the current issues faced by commercial lawyers legal practitioners, while earning four CPD units.

Topics include:

It’s non-negotiable: navigating unfair terms in small business and consumer agreements – Jennifer Dean, Partner, Johnson Winter Slattery

Recent legislative reforms have created an increased focus on ensuring fairness in standard form contracts used in dealings with small businesses and consumers. This practical session provides an overview of the recent reforms, identifying unfair terms, compliance strategies and key takeaways from regulatory enforcement and case law.

Legal ethics – Paul Monaghan, Senior Ethics Solicitor, Professional Support Unit, The Law Society of NSW

In this session Paul Monaghan will consider ethical issues and scenarios relevant to commercial lawyers.

Proper management of a trust year by year – David Marks KC, Barrister, Inns of Court & Norman Hanna, Barrister, Inns of Court

This session will look at the proper management of a trust - year by year. Quite apart from managing the tax position of a family group or investment structure, the lawyer has a role in ensuring decision-making is in order. The lessons from recent cases like JJ Owies (VSCA), Grand View (UKPC) and Legler (NZCA, NZSC appeal heard) will be addressed. 

This interactive session will discuss strategies for improving decision-making and ensuring that the intended structuring and tax planning actually works.

David Marks KC will also discuss some recent lessons about trust distributions, particularly where there are foreign elements, or unusual types of income and gains.

Wellbeing and commercial practice – Simonette Vaja, Wellbeing Manager, The Law Society of NSW

This session will provide an overview of optimal habits for high performing lawyers, including: 

• Mental Agility – Growth Mindset
• Evidence based best practice habits for mental wellbeing
• Mental Fitness with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 

This session was recorded on 26 March 2026 as part of the Personal injury law: Mandatory rule 6.1 – live webinar 

Hear from legal experts in this live online course as they discuss some of the current issues faced by personal injury lawyers and earn four CPD units.

Topics include the following:

Practice management and business skills for personal injury lawyers – Luke O’Kane, Partner, Clyde &

This session will explore the key practice management and business skills essential for personal injury solicitors in NSW. It will cover effective file and time management, client communication, risk management, financial performance and team leadership – all within the context of a high-volume, high-stakes practice area.

The discussion will highlight practical strategies for aligning operation efficiency with ethical obligations, strengthening client relationships and fostering sustainable business growth. Attendees will gain insights into how sound practice management not only mitigates risk, but also drives better outcomes for clients and firms.

A year in review: Case update – David Baran, Barrister, Jack Shand Chambers

These sessions were recorded on 21 March 2026 as part of the Core issues for criminal lawyers: Mandatory rule 6.1 - live webinar.

Hear from legal experts in this live online course as they discuss some of the current issues faced by criminal lawyers, and earn four CPD units.

Topics will include:

Instructing counsel – Trudie Cameron, Principal Lawyer, Practice Leader – NSW & ACT, Armstrong Legal

While instructing counsel is something criminal practitioners all do regularly, there is no specific process and practices vary widely. In this session, Trudie Cameron will cover the ins and outs of instructing counsel, with the aim of improving the experience for the solicitor, barrister and client alike.

This talk will cover topics including:

• Selecting the right counsel for the matter, the client and yourself.
• Letters of instruction.
• The brief to counsel.
• Proofs of evidence and defence material.
• Managing the relationship on an ongoing basis.
• Costs.
• Common feedback from counsel.

The session will also be supplemented by a useful briefing checklist and template letter of instruction to assist practitioners moving forward.

A year in review: Case update – Manny Conditsis, Director, Conditsis Lawyers

The topics covered in this session will include: 

• Recent sexual assault communication privilege cases. 
• The proposed statutory review of the sexual consent reforms introduced by the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Consent Reforms) Act 2021. 
• ICOs for Federal offenders. 
• Sentencing juvenile offenders for ‘adult-like’ conduct. 
• Sentencing principles. 
• The UK AI predictive offences scheme. 

Legal ethics for criminal lawyers – Paul Monaghan, Senior Ethics Solicitor, The Law Society of NSW

This session will present common scenarios in the area of criminal law, with a focus on:

• An overview of the ethical and regulatory frameworks for legal practice.
• Duties to the Court, the client and the profession in this context.
• Meeting ethical obligations in regard to AI.
• Managing new ethical issues relating to AML.

Courtroom advocacy: The world of the Local Court – Matthew Ward, Partner, Morrisons

Advocacy, the art of persuasion, is one of the core skills for any criminal lawyer. The Local Court can be a fast paced and high volume jurisdiction, where advocates need to be persuasive, but also efficient.

This session aims to provide solicitors with an approach to advocacy in the Local Court, including practical tips for the continual improvement of advocacy skills.

Key topics covered in this session will be:

• A framework for approaching advocacy in the Local Court.
• The elements of preparation.
• Practising to perform.
• Tips to improve your advocacy over time.

Practitioners should inform themselves of Rule 6.1 of the Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Solicitors) Rules 2015 which sets out the requirements for the four (4) mandatory CPD areas for NSW legal practitioners – (a) ethics and professional responsibility; (b) practice management and business skills; (c) professional skills; and (d) substantive law.  It is the responsibility of each legal practitioner to self-assess as to whether a particular educational activity extends their knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to their practice needs or professional development. If so, then the practitioner may claim one (1) “unit” for each hour of attendance, refreshment breaks not included.

If you self-assess that this particular educational activity extends your knowledge and skills, this program may allow you to claim four (4) of the mandatory areas: (a) ethics and professional responsibility; (b) practice management and business skills; (c) professional skills; and (d) substantive law.

DISTRESSING CONTENT 

Viewers are advised that this course may contain details that some may find distressing. Please review the course description and use your discretion before proceeding. 

If you are in distress, the Solicitor Outreach Service (1800 592 296) and Lifeline (13 11 14) offer 24/7 counselling support. If you are concerned for your safety or that of someone else, please contact the Police or call 000 for emergency assistance. 

Richard Harvey, Special Counsel, Thornton + King (Chair)
Diane Skapinker, Principal, Skapinker Law
Gary Newton, Partner, HWLE Lawyers
Mark Smith, Principal, Brander Smith McKnight
Danielle Francis, Senior Associate, Chambers Russell Lawyers
Linden Barnes, Senior Ethics Solicitor, Law Society of NSW
Carol Prasad, Professional Support Solicitor (AML), Law Society of NSW

This session was recorded on 27 March 2025 as part of the Crucial pointers in contract law: Mandatory rule 6.1 – live webinar.

Hear from legal experts in this live online course as they discuss some of the current contract law issues faced by legal practitioners, while earning four CPD units.

This course will include four sessions:

Contract drafting tips for preventing disputes – Amanda Comelli, Partner, Brown White Stein Lawyers & Eleanor Arthurson, Associate, Brown Wright Stein Lawyers

In this session, gain useful drafting skills from an Accredited Specialist in Business Law experienced in general contract drafting and review in a range of areas; these include commercial and corporate law, tax law, trusts and estate planning. 

File and data management for contract lawyers – Nick Satouris, Professional Support Solicitor, Law Society of NSW

By the end of this session, you will:

• Be familiar with costs disclosure obligations.
• Understand how to establish optimal billing practices.
• Be able to establish a costs practice with appropriate costs precedents.

Ethics in contract law – Paul Monaghan, Senior Ethics Solicitor, Law Society of NSW

This session will provide a review of the ethical aspects of duties to the court, the client and the profession, and their practical applications in the area of contract law.

Damages for breach of contract and wasted expenditure – Ourania Konstantinidis, Partner, Dentons

This session will cover the High Court’s recent decision in Cessnock City Council v 123 259 932 P/L dealing with the appropriate measure of damages for breach of contract. We will dive into:

• A snapshot of historical cases on damages and how the High Court arrived at the landmark decision.
• The High Court’s guidance on reliance damages for breach of contract with a particular focus on wasted expenditure and the recently established ‘facilitation principle’.
• How the courts will approach disputes involving damages incurred in reliance on contractual promises.
• Important practical strategies as to how you can manage risk when drafting contracts or advising your clients.

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your understanding about this important and evolving area of contract law from the solicitor who ran the High Court case from its origins.

Amanda Comelli, Partner, Brown White Stein Lawyers
Eleanor Arthurson, Associate, Brown Wright Stein Lawyers
Nick Satouris, Professional Support Solicitor, Law Society of NSW
Paul Monaghan, Senior Ethics Solicitor, Law Society of NSW
Ourania Konstantinidis, Partner, Dentons

This session was recorded on 20 March 2025 as part of the Civil litigators: Mandatory Rule 6.1 – live webinar

Hear from legal experts in this live online course as they discuss some of the current issues faced by civil litigators, while earning four CPD units.
Topics include:

Developments in evidence law – Carmel Lee, Barrister, Greenway Chambers

In this session, learn about recent developments in evidence law and their application to civil litigation.

Legal ethics – Paul Monaghan, Senior Ethics Solicitor, Law Society of NSW

This session will examine ethical aspects of duties to the Court, the client and the profession, with practical applications for civil litigators.

Building your civil litigation practice – Alistair Marshall, Director, Professional Services Business Development

The session will focus on how to counteract the effects of a market slowdown and demonstrate what it takes to stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy marketplace.

Many firms suffer from a lack of awareness, underperforming websites, no real point of difference from the competition and personnel who consider themselves professionals rather than marketers or salespeople.

Session participants will learn how to engage potential clients without sounding confused or bland and also how to build trust and credibility, so they become the provider of choice over time. 

Key points to be covered include:

• Why you should change your attitude and behaviour relating to business development.
• The profit model all successful businesses must master.
• How the answers to three simple questions can change your financial life.
• The ‘must implement’ ideas to drive revenue growth in the new modern world.

Working with Counsel – Paul Cutler, Migration Lawyer, Barrister, Mediator and Arbitrator

Working with Counsel should be a constructive and collaborative process for both solicitor and barrister. Each have their own roles in civil litigation. Good teamwork and understanding are essential to achieve the best result for the client. This session will look at some of the important aspects of briefing, working with and instructing counsel at trial.

This session was recorded on 6 February 2025 as part of the Important issues for in-house lawyers: Mandatory rule 6.1 - live webinar.

Hear from legal experts in this live online course as they discuss some of the current issues faced by in-house legal practitioners, while earning four CPD units. 

AI and your professional skills – Caryn Sandler, Partner + Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin

Artificial Intelligence (particularly Gen AI) has now well and truly arrived in the legal industry and has the potential to shake up the way we practice. This session will serve as your guide to the Gen AI technologies that will likely change the way we find, review and write legal content. Taking a vendor-agnostic approach, we’ll bypass the hype and explain everything you need to know about:

• The current state of Gen AI in the legal industry.
• Emerging legal use cases.
• Gen AI demonstration.
• Considerations when working with Gen AI.
• What you need to do now to prepare for potential changes to legal service delivery.

Ethical issues for in-house lawyers – Linden Barnes, Senior Ethics Solicitor, Law Society of NSW

In this session Linden will review recent issues in ethics, focusing on:

• Avoiding misleading statements.
• Managing client expectations.
• Understanding your confidentiality obligations.

Changes to Australia’s privacy and data security regime – Amber Cerny, Corporate Law Partner, EY Oceania

In this session you will get an update on changes to Australia’s amended privacy and data security laws.

We will also cover what the changes mean for you:

• How leading inhouse counsel are supporting their businesses to be compliant with the laws.
• How best to identify and mitigate risks.

The right to disconnect – Carly Stebbing, Partner, Longton Legal

This session will explore the implications of Australia's ‘right to disconnect’ reforms both for employers and for employees. The presentation will include an examination of how to ensure compliance while fostering a healthier work environment.