Commissioner Update - July 2022
Commissioner update to the legal profession - July 2022. In this edition: PC renewal closed | Changes to supervised legal practice | New lawyer wellbeing resources and consumer information.
A career in the law can be stimulating and rewarding in many ways, at both a professional and personal level. It can provide meaning and stability, and the opportunity to help others through providing access to justice. But it doesn’t come without challenges, particularly for those in the early stages of their career. A legal career is a marathon, not a sprint. Unfortunately, many lawyers too often prioritise their work over their wellbeing.
While lawyer wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility, the potential for poor wellbeing to affect individuals, as well as organisational viability and liability, should see the topic appearing on leadership agendas across the sector.
To be able to effectively tackle the challenge of improving lawyer wellbeing, we first need to understand the barriers that lawyers face in seeking help.
It’s no secret that wellbeing – or more accurately a lack or low levels of it – is a significant issue for the legal sector.
Good mental health, which includes wellbeing and resilience, is critical for all lawyers – professionally and personally.
At a professional level, as we highlighted in our Lawyer Wellbeing Report, poor wellbeing is a barrier to lawyers being able to do their jobs effectively and provide quality legal services to Victorians.
To be used in in situations where a supervisor and supervisee are employed by a different law practice/entity
We see problems when lawyers attempt to keep their files in both hard copy and digital form. It can be confusing and can result in the loss of information or records. Our guidance will help you navigate the process for going fully digital.
You can also refer to the LIV’s File ownership, retention and destruction guidelines.
Wellbeing is critical for all lawyers, both professionally and personally. The practice of law is an important and rewarding career; poor wellbeing can reduce a lawyer’s sense of satisfaction in their work and contribute to burnout and even to lawyers leaving the profession. At a professional level, poor wellbeing is a barrier to lawyers working ethically and providing quality legal services to Victorians.