LLB197 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Legal Ethics, Wicket-Keeper, Glass Ceiling
TOPIC 11: Legal culture and Future Directions
“Future” challenges for the profession
In 2001, Law Council of Australia identified 5 key challenges for lawyers by 2010:
- Advances in information technology
- The effects of globalisation
- Changes in competition & govt regulation
- Changes in demographics & social attitudes
- Advances in science
)Law Council of Australia, 2010: A Discussion Paper, Challenges for the Legal Profession, 2001
How accurate was the LCA?
Future directions – 2004 predictions
Over the period 2003 to 2015:
- The number of legal practitioners is projected to increase from 18,092 to 25,750
- The proportion of females in the profession is projected to increase from 38.6% to 52.2%
- The proportion of the profession working in the corporate sector is projected to rise from 13.2% to 19.9%
- The proportion working as private practitioners is projected to drop from 72.7% to 68.4%.
- The distribution of solicitors working in city, suburban and country locations is projected to remain relatively
steady.
- The total number of private law firms is projected to rise from 3,725 to 4,430
(Law Society NSW, The Solicitors of New South Wales in 2015, 2004)
Reality – 2014 Profile NSW Law Soc
- As at October 2014 – 25, 575 solicitors held current practising certificates
- Female 48.5% - male 51.5%
- Corporate sector – 19.3%
- Private practice – 69.8%
- Region – steady
- Private law firms – 5, 569.
Future directions
Areas of decline:
Personal injury
Corporations law
Small business law
Banking/Finance
Advocacy
Future directions
Areas of increase:
Commercial law
Wills and Estates
Family law
Industrial relations law
Administrative law
Immigration law
See Epilogue to text book
Areas of growth/decline – pp.371-373
Productivity Commission Report –2014
- civil justice system too slow, expensive &adversarial,
- more CLE and pro bono needed.
- more incentives for lawyers and parties to co-operate – costs
- more emphasis on ADR
- more legal aid funding.
Positives/negatives of globalisation pp. 376-378 – law of commerce/private agreement circumventing legal
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Document Summary
In 2001, law council of australia identified 5 key challenges for lawyers by 2010: )law council of australia, 2010: a discussion paper, challenges for the legal profession, 2001. The number of legal practitioners is projected to increase from 18,092 to 25,750. The proportion of females in the profession is projected to increase from 38. 6% to 52. 2% The proportion of the profession working in the corporate sector is projected to rise from 13. 2% to 19. 9% The proportion working as private practitioners is projected to drop from 72. 7% to 68. 4%. The distribution of solicitors working in city, suburban and country locations is projected to remain relatively steady. The total number of private law firms is projected to rise from 3,725 to 4,430 (law society nsw, the solicitors of new south wales in 2015, 2004) As at october 2014 25, 575 solicitors held current practising certificates. Civil justice system too slow, expensive &adversarial, More incentives for lawyers and parties to co-operate costs.
