Your Local Law Society – The Why’s and How’s

The Society has two major functions:

1. It regulates legal practice in Tasmania.
2. It provides services to Society members to assist in maintaining high standards of practice in Tasmania’s legal profession. It provides you with access to professional services, resources, support and benefits.

Regulation and Society Membership. Legal practitioners in Tasmania are regulated by legislation including Acts, Rules, By-Laws and Regulations (see here). Additionally, a practitioner who is granted a practising certificate by the Law Society of Tasmania is subject to statutory conditions of practice and conditions imposed by the Council of the Society on their practising certificate.

When you are issued with a practising certificate, you automatically become a member of this Society. Government legal practitioners are however deemed to hold PCs under the Legal Profession Act, and they do not need to apply for practising certificates. As such the practising certificate membership does not apply to them. Government legal practitioners need to apply for Associate Membership (see here). For those who remain as students, or who go into non-lawyer roles but who are still involved in the law, application to become an Associate Member is also invited so as to take advantage of the Society’s offerings.

Society Services. Society members are offered services that are designed to assist you with the provision of timely and effective delivery of legal services. As such, the Society focusses on wellbeing; education through its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program; indemnity insurance and risk management; access to counselling services; and a range of other personal and practice related benefits.

How The Society Can Assist You. Over the course of your legal career in Tasmania, matters for which you may seek assistance from the Society could include:

• How to get involved in social and learning activities, and how to access your member services and benefits.
• Assistance with your application for a practising certificate and practising certificate renewal.
• Queries about legal practice guidelines and general regulatory requirements.
• Questions about issues or concerns regarding your legal practice, and compliance with rules and regulations relating to this.

What You Have Access To As A Society Member

• Society website (see here)
• A weekly Law Update – news about and for the local legal profession
• A weekly CPD eNewsletter – information to guide you on the mandatory continuing professional development scheme
• The Law Letter Journal – a publication full of informative and helpful articles
• Reasonable or no cost continuing professional development events and recordings (see here)
• Professional networking opportunities including access to an early career lawyer community (see here)
• Access to member-only resources and information (available once you become a member)
• Access to local and online library resources (see here)
• A member advisory service for guidance, assistance with complaints and legal practice concerns
• Discounts and exclusive benefits for travel, accommodation, health insurance and much more (see here)

Society Committees. The Society’s Council is assisted in its governance by a number of committees which are also made up members of the legal profession. To learn more, or apply to join a committee, see here.

Online Guide. The Ultimate Survival Guide to Your First Year in Law provides you with some key information about what life may be like as a lawyer in Tasmania.

For more information about your Society please contact info@lst.org.au