National Friends Panel

Your own professional sounding board. The National Friends Panel is made up of lawyers who can be contacted on a confidential basis with questions or concerns relating to practice issues. This can include specific situations you are unsure about and what to expect in a legal workplace more generally.

Contact a Panel member

Solving the problems of others is an integral part of being a lawyer. Sometimes, lawyers need help too, and often it can help to speak to someone who understands the pressures of life as a lawyer.

The National Friends Panel is there to provide collegial support and practice advice to members of the legal profession from other members of the legal profession.

You can ask the Panel for situational advice on:

workplace issues (such as communication or workload issues)
financial problems (relating to your firm)
issues with partners
trust account problems
problem clients, files, judges or other counsel
office management
ethical dilemmas
using an alternate/attorney.

A list of all members of the National Friends Panel

How Panel members will interact with you

National Friends Panel members will listen to you confidentially. They may be able to draw on their own experience to suggest a way to approach the issues you are experiencing, or they may be able to refer you to someone else. You will have someone who wants to listen and to discuss things. Panel members are not there to judge you. They will not provide free legal advice.

Become a Panel member

If you are interested in joining the National Friends Panel, complete the registration form.

Completing this form means the Law Society will make confidential inquiries into your experience and qualifications for the purpose of determining your suitability.

National Friends Panel Registration Form