Newly admitted lawyers were assured of support at the Brisbane Welcome to the Profession event at Law Society House last week.
Queensland Law Society (QLS) President Rebecca Fogerty congratulated the attendees on their admission, saying she was “absolutely thrilled to see you here embarking, and getting to know getting to know the QLS as you embark on the legal career”.
“Our role as a membership organisation is to empower good lawyers advocate strongly and consistently for good law, and to continually work to serve the public good in all that we do,” she said.
“I want to make it very clear to each and every one of you that the Queensland Law Society is here to back you in any challenges that you may face as part of your practice as a lawyer.
“We have senior counsellors available to speak with you. We have ethics guidance, we have practice support, we have a particularly collegial profession and I know that there are many senior lawyers, lawyers at all stages of their career, who would be delighted to assist you, mentor you, counsel you answer any questions you might have, and don’t even forget that we are here to back you.”
Rebecca said early career lawyers brought a valuable and fresh perspective, and “you all have the ability to drive and shift change”.
“This is so important to our profession, we need to be dynamic, we need to change with the times, we need to be open to new ideas, new perspectives,” she said.
“This is important to our wider system of justice and to the health of our whole community.”
Rebecca also said that at any career stage, but particularly those early years, collegiality was so important.
“It’s important to treat others with kindness, to keep an open mind as you navigate the profession. And as you build relationships and connections around you, one of the things I wish I had appreciated earlier on in my career is the importance of relationships,” she said.
“Now, that doesn’t mean that you have to go out and go networking, because we all know that the majority of lawyers, loathe networking and would much rather be at home watching Netflix or reading books or whatever.
“But what it means is an openness to talking to people even if you have one genuine conversation per person in a week, being open to getting involved, because it is through being involved, it is through service, service to our profession, that enables you to grow and develop as a lawyer.”
The Society President also wanted to reiterate the importance of service and getting involved.
“Like everything, you only get out what you put in,” Rebecca said. “Your careers will be so much more meaningful when you take the notion of the profession in the truest sense of the word and be guided by notions of service.
“For QLS to serve you, our members, we are our strongest and most effective when you get involved.”
Share this article