
UNSW Law & Justice celebrated the launch of Australia's newest centre for leading future-focused research and legal executive programs at an event on 30 November 2023. The Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession is led by UNSW Law & Justice and informed by the legal industry to support the profession in effectively navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by technology, innovation, and societal expectations.
"The formation of the Centre comes at a time when the profession is experiencing technological disruption, concerns about wellbeing and workplace culture, that necessitates a reconsideration of the daily duties and ethical considerations for lawyers. We look forward to sharing more of our program of content and initiatives in the new year," said the Centre's Director, Professor Michael Legg.
At the launch event, Professor Andrew Lynch, Dean of UNSW Law & Justice and Professor Legg presented an overview of the Centre's initiatives and its mission to investigate the profession's most pressing issues through a collegial exchange of ideas and concerns.
Guests and colleagues also heard esteemed panellists discuss pressing issues in the changing legal landscape. The panellists included Brandy Tsang, Director and Managing Legal Counsel at Boston Consulting Group; Lachlan McKnight, Chief Executive Officer at LegalVision; and Riona Moodley, Lecturer and academic at UNSW Law & Justice.
In 2024, the Centre will launch several initiatives, some of which include:
- Future-focused research will provide evidence-based insights and tailored solutions to industry-identified challenges and opportunities that will continually update and improve the legal professional development curriculum.
- A legal profession and cross-discipline informed Leadership for Lawyers executive program, in addition to a series of exclusive programs designed to create continued dialogue and disseminate the research conducted by the Centre.
- A new course for in-house counsel. Led by Professor Michael Legg and David Field, Chief Legal Counsel at Canon Oceania.
- A series of intimate, invitation-only Think Tank workshops for leaders across various industries coming together to dissect, discuss and help shape responses to complex issues.
- An annual summit that will deliver a multifaceted approach to addressing one of the themes highlighted through the Centre's research and other industry engagement initiatives.
For more information on the Centre and its initiatives, contact:
Professor Michael Legg
Director
m.legg@unsw.edu.au
Tegan Carter
Senior Partnerships & Communications Officer
cflp@unsw.edu.au
Visit us at: www.unsw.edu.au/research/centre-future-legal-profession