This session was recorded on 31 March 2026 as part of the Effective communication for lawyers: Mandatory rule 6.1 – live webinar.

Hear from legal experts in this live online course about effective and ethical communication with clients, colleagues and other legal professionals. Enhance your skills and practice while earning three CPD units.

Topics include:

Tips and systems for taking instructions – Heather McKinnon, Partner, Bryant McKinnon Lawyers 

Heather McKinnon will explore effective client communication from the commencement of the solicitor-client relationship. This session will focus on obtaining clear and thorough instructions by structuring and conducting client interviews in a  professional and empathetic manner.

Ethical communication – best practices and regulatory compliance – Mehzabin Farazi, Solicitor, Professional Support Unit, Law Society of NSW

This session will explore the importance of effective ethical communication by solicitors. It will identify the Conduct Rules that regulate how solicitors must behave and communicate in general, with clients, with other solicitors such as opponents and colleagues, and with the regulator. It will explore practical scenarios and consider how the Conduct Rules would apply. Finally, it will consider the importance of purposeful and plain English communication in all contexts.

Communicating with confidence – Dale Anne Clark, Trainer, Author, Speaker and Coach

This session is presented by an award-winning speaker and trainer, and certified World Class Speaking Coach. By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify and adopt confidence behaviours.
• Apply strategies for confident interactions.
• Adopt a mindset for increasing self-confidence.
• Use their learnings to build capacity in a professional context.

Please note this session will only be available until 5 October 2026.

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 three (3) of the mandatory areas: (a) ethics and professional responsibility; (b) practice management and business skills; and (c) professional skills.