Law Society President Tiana Epati provides an update on our Access to Justice work and the Independent Review of the statutory framework for legal services. Tiana also encourages lawyers to prioritise their wellbeing, and the support available from the Legal Community Counselling Service.
I am really pleased we can once again work with our friends and colleagues at Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa to produce this edition of Kōrero Mō te Ture. Te Hunga Rōia has gone from strength to strength over the past three decades and I am heartened to see us working together on so many things. It was a pleasure and privilege to speak at the Hui-ā-Tau in Ōtautahi in July and kōrero with many of the people who have contributed to this magazine.
Since my last LawTalk update, the New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa has again responded swiftly to the changing Covid-19 Alert Levels. We pivoted to respond to queries, work with justice sector stakeholders to resolve issues and keep lawyers up to date with relevant information which included essential travel, court protocols, property, family, and employment matters.
We also finalised the Terms of Reference for the Independent Review following wide consultation with the legal profession and other key stakeholders. One of the key goals in establishing the Independent Review is to ensure the statutory framework is up to date and fit for purpose.
We are doing everything we can to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Lawyers Complaints Service (LCS) within the existing co-regulatory framework. This includes the rule changes which came into force on 1 July this year and adopting more modern regulatory practices. While the Independent Review will look at what changes are needed to the overall statutory framework, we understand any legislative changes are years away.
That is why at my recent meeting with the Minister of Justice we discussed short term amendments to the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act. These interim ‘tweaks’ would enable our complaints service to operate in a more efficient and transparent manner, for both consumers and the legal profession, until broader legislative change can be achieved through the Independent Review.
It really is ok to ask for help. I would encourage anyone in the legal profession to use this free and confidential service if you need to talk and have someone listen. While we need to take care of each other, we need to make sure we take care of ourselves first.
At my meeting with the Minister, we also discussed the need to improve access to justice, in particular the legal aid system, a subject I hear a lot about from lawyers. It is good to see initiatives like Te Ara Ture (the online pro-bono clearing house) being launched to support more lawyers to offer pro bono services, but we have a long way to go to meet the unmet legal needs in this country.
We will shortly be publishing the results of our access to justice survey which covers legal aid, pro bono and low bono services. The survey is a first for the Law Society and will paint a national picture of the state of access to justice in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a step change in the way the Law Society traditionally advocates for improvements to the legal aid system.
Prioritising our wellbeing is vital as we continue to face uncertain times and connecting with each other is an important part of that. That is one of the reasons why the Law Society opened expressions of interest for its first National New Lawyers Group in August. This is an exciting opportunity to connect and make a real difference to those joining the profession both now and in the future. And our National Mentoring Programme, which is a free way to connect with other lawyers, continues to grow. I encourage everyone to think about participating in this programme either as a mentor or mentee, or both!
For anyone who is struggling with any aspect of working in the legal profession I can strongly recommend using the Law Society’s Legal Community Counselling Service provided by Vitae. Recently, the Board of the Law Society made the decision to double the number of free sessions available from three to six.
I have sought professional help a couple of times in my legal career when I was going through big life and career changes. The most recent occasion was as President where I was managing a difficult pregnancy, the demands of the role and a Covid-19 resurgence. On both occasions I needed more than just three sessions and I was greatly assisted by a professional who could help to talk things through, manage stress and give me the tools to move forward.
It really is ok to ask for help. I would encourage anyone in the legal profession to use this free and confidential service if you need to talk and have someone listen. While we need to take care of each other, we need to make sure we take care of ourselves first.