Law Society President Tiana Epati's speech to the Culture and Systems Change Symposium has been released.

Earlier this month the new Law Society President Tiana Epati opened the Culture and Systems Change Symposium which was held at Pipitea Marae in Wellington.

The symposium involved leaders of the law profession from around New Zealand who came together to acknowledge cultural issues the law profession is currently facing, and to focus on building strategies that will be sustainable going forward.

Ms Epati began her speech by delivering an inspirational Whakataukī.

“E tū ki te kei o te waka

Kia pakia koe e ngā ngaru o te wā”

(Stand at the stern of the canoe

And feel the spray of the future biting at your face)

It was that Whakataukī which set the tone for the symposium where about 100 leaders from the legal profession gathered to discuss a range of serious cultural issues affecting the law profession.

You can watch Tiana Epati’s speech here.

In November, the New Zealand Law Society’s Culture Change Taskforce will deliver its report on long term culture change for the law profession.

The 18 member Taskforce is a key player in developing a strategic framework and action plan with will support the creation and maintenance of healthy, safe, respectful, and inclusive legal workplaces.