Annual Report 2008-09 - Legal Services Commissioner

Chapter FOUR
Educating the community
The Reference Group met four times in 2008-09 to discuss a
broad range of issues including:
• systemic issues identified through the Legal Services
Commissioner’s education activities;
• the impact of the global financial crisis on law
practices and the profession;
• issues of focus for future round tables;
• potential opportunities for expanding the education
program; and
• ways of engaging with the legal profession through
the use of interactive technology.
Other community
engagement activities
During 2008-09, the Legal Services Commissioner participated
in a range of other activities to raise awareness of the
complaint handling regime among the Victorian community:
• Law Week 2009
During Law Week 2009, the Legal Services Commissioner
disseminated copies of its consumer-focused
publications through a range of Victorian libraries.
• Victorian Legal Assistance Forum
A staff member participated in a forum which explored
potential ideas for improving access to legal services for
culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• Readers’ Feast Crime and Justice Festival 2008
In July 2008, the Commissioner presented the opening
address for the alternative dispute resolution session
of the Readers’ Feast Crime and Justice Festival.
Publications for consumers
The Legal Services Commissioner produces a range of
publications which outline the rights and obligations of the
consumer in the client-practitioner relationship as well as
the process for lodging a complaint with the Legal Services
Commissioner.
These publications include:
• Working with your lawyer (available in 10 other
languages including Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Greek,
Italian, Macedonian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and
Vietnamese.)
• Do you have a problem with your lawyer?
• Are you making a complaint about legal costs?
• Are you claiming you have lost money because of
something your lawyer did or failed to do?
• Legal costs: your right to know
• Your right to challenge legal costs
• Dealing with cost disputes in family law matters
• Mediations
During 2008-09, the Legal Services Commissioner created
two new fact sheets for consumers titled Negligence and
Complaints and Handling Disciplinary Complaints.
Legal Services COMMISSIONER 2009 Annual Report 33