LSB December 2021 HR

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Another challenging year comes
to a close, but commitment to
welfare of the profession continues
REBECCA SANDFORD, PRESIDENT
As the end of 2021 approaches,
I’m finding it hard - despite the
reminders each time I walk through
Rundle Mall and enjoy the Christmas
decorations - to believe how fast this year
has gone, and how much has occurred in
only 12 short months.
At the start of my Presidential term,
I indicated an intention to focus on a
few key priorities this year - in particular,
mental health and wellbeing support for
the profession; increasing diversity and
taking further steps to address sexual
harassment, bullying and discrimination
in the law; and considering the use of
and role for technology in the delivery of
legal services. I’m pleased that I’ve been
able to take steps to address each of those
throughout this year.
I have been especially proud of work
the Society has undertaken in relation to
wellbeing, resilience and mental health
support for the profession. Early in my
Presidency, the Society commissioned
a mental wellbeing survey, in a similar
vein to the 2020 survey conducted by the
International Bar Association, to ‘take the
temperature’ of the local profession on
this important topic. The survey results
have already been discussed in articles in
this publication, and continue to be the
subject of consideration by the Wellbeing
and Resilience Committee, with the
Society maintaining a focus on further
strategies to ensure legal practitioners
can be better supported in managing
and maintaining their mental health and
wellbeing into the future.
Whilst in some respects this year has
been less tumultuous than 2020, it has
certainly not been without its challenges,
and there have been plenty of reminders
of the importance of appropriate help
and support being accessible to all of us
- including during our short lockdown in
July. I know that for many, dealing with
the uncertainties and restrictions arising
from the pandemic has been very difficult,
and your resilience and endeavours in
dealing with those challenges are to be
commended. I have found it reassuring
that many of the practitioners I spoke with
have, or are gaining, an increased awareness
of the importance of mental health
support and are actively taking steps to
embed a wellbeing focus in their approach
to legal practice. I have been grateful for
the chance to speak with many of you,
including many of our small practice
solicitors, during the course of 2021 and I
thank each of you who generously shared
your experiences with me.
For that reason, amongst others, I am
also glad to have chosen the Breakthrough
Mental Health Research Foundation as
the President’s charity for 2021. I have
thoroughly enjoyed the relationship that
has been built between the Society and
the Foundation during the year and the
opportunity to learn from the important
work of the Foundation. Raising over
$11,000 at the Legal Profession Dinner in
August to help the Foundation kick off its
Big Talks for Little People program in SA
schools was definitely a highlight of my
year (not to mention that it confirmed my
long held view that wine walls really are
the adult version of a lucky dip - and just
as popular!), and it was also very pleasing
that this year saw the victorious return of
the Great Debate during Mental Health
Week - a well-attended, and well received,
event that allowed us to take a more
humorous look at some aspects of the last
12 or so months, with our speakers doing
an excellent job of debating whether WFH
= LAW (i.e. Work From Home really
means Living At Work).
Work on the topic of sexual
harassment, bullying and discrimination
has also been a top priority throughout
this year. As I have said in various
forums, including in each of the multiple
presentations I have delivered or chaired
this year, we all have a part to play in
transforming the culture of the legal
profession to make it more inclusive
and welcoming, and to ensure we can
each feel safe, valued and respected in
our workplaces. It has been heartening
to see how the profession has grappled
with this challenge and taken real steps
to implement change and provide
support. I am particularly proud that
since its introduction in June 2021, the
Society’s “Sexual Harassment - Changing
Workplace Culture” workshop has been
attended virtually by over 1850 lawyers in
SA, with a further 120 practitioners also
attending a bystander intervention session
by Trish Lowe in November. Multiple
CPDs have also been run by other bodies
both prior to and since the delivery
of the (Acting) Equal Opportunity
Commissioner’s comprehensive Report
in April this year, all of which can only
help to inform and educate the profession
about this issue and what needs to be
done to address it.
The Society, and others within the
profession, have also taken meaningful
action towards other recommendations in
the Inquiry Report, including amending
the Legal Profession Conduct Rules to
ensure a single set of Rules applies to
the entirety of the SA profession (and
incorporating a new, more expansive
prohibition against bullying and
harassment), and work undertaken at both
a state and national level for legislative
change and with respect to model policies
and procedures. Before 2021 concludes,
my expectation is that the Law Council’s
National Model Policy Framework and
accompanying Guidance Notes - the
development of which the Society has
contributed to as a constituent body of the
Law Council throughout this year - will be
available for practitioners to commence
using as a ‘best practice’ approach or
reference tool.
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THE BULLETIN December 2021