Committees

More than 30 active committees and working groups have been established by volunteer members of the Law Society, covering a range of substantive law and other areas of interest. Many of the Law Society’s committees are policy committees that deal with references for comment from outside organisations and initiate comment on various legal and practice issues as and when they arise.

Committee membership is an exclusive benefit for Law Society members. Joining a committee is a great way to give back to the profession, influence the agenda and develop networks in different sectors of the profession.  Committee members are expected to abide by the Law Society’s Committee BylawsCode of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Guidelines.

To join a committee please complete a Committee Expression of Interest form.

The Young Lawyers Committee

The Young Lawyers Committee (YLC) is a particularly active committee that recognises the importance of supporting emerging lawyers as they find their way in the profession. Through the YLC the Law Society of Western Australia dedicates substantial effort toward resources tailored to this group including guidelines, young lawyer CPD and events tailored to broadening their horizons and the tools to help them create rewarding fulfilling careers.

Other Committees

For more information about each committee, please click on the relevant committee below.

Access to Justice

The Access to Justice Committee has broad representation from members of the legal profession and key stakeholders in the provision of legal aid and legal assistance on a pro bono basis. Stakeholder representation includes Law Access Limited, a wholly owned not for profit subsidy of the Society that co-ordinates pro-bono assistance in Western Australia and the Director of Civil Law at Legal Aid. The Law Society is also represented on the Law Access Limited Stakeholder Advisory Committee by a member of the Committee.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Gary Mack
Chair

Gregory Mohen
Deputy Chair

Maryse Aranda

Eli Bernstein

Tracy Cole

Lara Gotti

Greg McIntyre SC

Chelsea McKinney

Jenny McKenzie

Nicholas Snare

Rosaline Tan

Garth Tinsley

Accreditation

The Accreditation Committee advises the Law Society’s Council on the rules and regulations that govern the granting of accreditation by the Law Society. In a secondary capacity the Committee acts as the advisory board for family law accreditation.

Accredited family law specialists practising in Western Australia must be members of the Law Society.

The Law Society also actively participates in the Family Law Specialist Accreditation National Steering Committee. This ensures that all States and Territories share information to facilitate a consistent approach to assessment and credentialing. In an assessment year, the National Steering Committee works to promote consistency and uniformity of approach. That has included the Committee working with representatives of the other law societies and institutes to review and settle the assessment tasks and marking guides for assessment.

For more information about this committee please email accreditation@lawsocietywa.asn.au.

Committee Members

Trevor O'Sullivan
Chair

Daniel Coster

Rodney Hooper SC

Elizabeth Hynes

Natalie Kam

Denby Kerr

Peter Milevski

Kimberley Morrison

Paula Wilkinson

Administrative and Migration Law Committee
Committee Members

Crawford Yorke
Chair

David Blades

Anthony Coates

Hamish Glenister

Thomas Griffiths

Amanda Kailis

Janette McCahon

Rajesh Saharan

Martin Udall

Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Committee continues to seek to promote alternative dispute resolution and the involvement of lawyers in alternative dispute resolution.

The Law Society is a Recognised Mediator Accreditation Body (RMAB) under the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS). The Committee makes recommendations to the Council about accreditation of mediators.

The Committee also makes recommendations to the Council about inclusion of mediators and arbitrators on the panels of mediators and arbitrators maintained by the Society.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Scott Ellis
Chair

Mark Blundell

Graham Castledine

Maha Chaar

Nicoletta Ciffolilli

Tracy Cole

Ante Golem

Pamela Hass

Amanda Kailis

Roselina Kruize

Nathan Landis

Robert Lilley

Karene Primrose

Marcus Pullen

Pat Saraceni

Steven Standing

His Honour Judge Christopher Stevenson

Her Honour Judge Natalie Whitby

Brief Editorial

Brief is the official journal of the Law Society and has been published since 1974. Brief keeps members informed about the Law Society’s activities and the latest developments in the Western Australian legal profession.

The Committee thanks all those who submitted articles or items for consideration, and encourages anyone who is interested in doing so to submit material.

For more information about this committee please email brief@lawsocietywa.asn.au.

Committee Members

Jason MacLaurin SC
Editor/Chair

Gregory Boyle

Ben Bullock

Thomas Camp

Tracy Cole

Patricia Femia

Roselina Kruize

Jessica Henderson

Anlee Khuu

The Honourable John McKechnie QC

Pat Saraceni

Robert Sceales

Johann Andreas von Altenstadt

Commercial Law

The Commercial Law Committee’s role is to report and make recommendations to the Law Society Council on commercial issues of significance to the Law Society and its members.

The Committee has representatives on the following liaison and working groups:

  • Consumer Protection Liaison Group;
  • ASIC Regional Liaison Group;
  • Law Council of Australia, Business Law Section, Corporations Law Committee; and
  • Law Society Working Group for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Shane Stewart
Chair

Robert French
Deputy Chair

Michael Berkeley-Hill

Christopher Booth

Ben Bullock (Council Ex Officio)

Andrew Crean

Jenny Cutri (LCA)

Paul Evans

Tony Fifield

Emma Garlett

Maggie McGuinn

Bruce Meredith

Fiona Ng
Observer

Gemma Nugent

Steven Pynt

Steven Standing

Trina Storm

Andreas von Altenstadt

Rachel Webber (LCA)

Construction and Infrastructure

The Law Society’s Construction and Infrastructure Committee was established in August 2015. The Committee’s meetings are held in conjunction with meetings of the Law Council of Australia’s Construction and Infrastructure WA Group. This Group is part of the Law Council’s Business Law Section’s longstanding Construction and Infrastructure Committee. The Committee meets bi-monthly.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Adrienne Parker
Chair

Robert Shaw

David Ellis

Gregory Steinepreis

Basil Georgiou

Michael Hollingdale

Dan Dragovic

Adrienne Parker

Christopher Ryder

Toby Browne-Cooper

Juliana Jorissen

James Healy

Elisabeth Edwards

Melanie Cave

Costs Committee

The Costs Committee’s primary function is to make recommendations to the Law Society Council in relation to reviews conducted by the statutory Legal Costs Committee (LCC).

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Maria-Luisa Coulson
Chair

Amy Pascoe (Deputy Chair)

Daniel Coster

Sandra Costopoulos

David Davidson

Tony Fifield

David Garnsworthy

Richard Graham

Peter Lochore

Fraser Robertson

Milos Supljeglav

Murray Thornhill

Country Practitioners

The Committee’s strategic focus continues to be developed with a view to ensuring that it is representing, engaging, supporting and advocating for all members of the profession in rural, regional and remote areas.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Michael Ryan
Chair

Amelia Englert
Deputy Chair

Peter Brindal

Jessica Henderson

Deearnah Truran-Fowler

Courts

The Courts Committee continues to play an important role as a conduit for two-way feedback and the dissemination of information to practitioners between the Law Society, the Federal Court, Supreme Court, Family Court, State Administrative Tribunal, District Court and Magistrates Court.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Edward Greaves
Chair

Richard Graham
Deputy Chair

Charmian Barton
ex officio

David Bruns

Fiona Halsey

Rebecca Collins

Rick Cullen

Shonelle Duthie

Paul Evans

Patricia Femia

Principal Registrar Leonie Forrest
ex officio

Angie Gimisis
ex officio

Angelina Gomez

Nathan Landis

Aaron McDonald

Principal Registrar Brenda McGivern (ex officio)

Principal Registrar Kate McDonald
ex officio

Martyn Plummer
ex officio

Pat Saraceni

Jonathon Slack-Smith

District Registrar Russell Trott
ex officio

Dora van der Westhuyzen

Alexander Ward-Noonan

Deputy Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Woods
ex officio

Criminal Law

The Committee is well balanced with prosecutors, defence lawyers, barristers, sole practitioners and lawyers from community legal services, Aboriginal Legal Services and Legal Aid.

The Committee continues to monitor the mandatory sentencing provisions under the burglary offences of the Criminal Code for unjust outcomes for offenders. The Law Society remains committed to its opposition to all forms of mandatory sentencing.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

David Davidson
Chair

Karen Farley SC
Deputy Chair

Ryan Arndt

Avril Bartlett

Lisa Boston
Observer

Clare Brennan

Michael Cashman

Anthony Elliot
Observer

Patricia Femia

Hamish Glenister

Teck John Ling

Judy McLean
ex officio

Carly Price

Claire Rossi

Kirsten Scott

Nicholas Snare

Registrar Whitbread

Education

The Law Society’s Education Committee oversees the Law Society’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme, curated and developed by the Law Society’s Professional Development Team, and delivered by subject matter experts.

The Committee’s membership is strongly supported by the Western Australian legal profession, ensuring the Law Society delivers engaging and informed education, as well as offering a variety of topics and formats to suit a range of learning styles and preferences.

For more information about this committee please email cpd@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Adam Levine
Chair

Glen McLeod
Deputy Chair

Ryan Arndt

Rebecca Bunney

Rachel Eaton

Karen Farley

Angelina Gomez

Fiona Halsey

Pamela Hass

Dr Andrew Lu AM

Nicholas Mountain (YLC)

Dr Pat Saraceni

Elder Law and Succession

The Elder Law and Succession Committee’s particular areas of interest are power of attorney reform (including interstate mutual recognition), legislative progress in succession law, probate practice and the Family Provision Act 1972 (WA).

The Committee liaises with the Law Council of Australia National Elder Law and Succession Committee of which the Convenor is a member, and with the Supreme Court of Western Australia Probate Committee on which a Committee member (currently the Convenor) represents the Law Society.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Sally Bruce
Chair

Anthony Durand
Deputy Chair

Michael Bowyer

Rob Durey

Daniel Gill

Elizabeth Heenan

John Hockley

Amanda Liston

Ross Mendonca

Bruce Meredith

Robert Nash

Peter Nevin

Michaela Speering

Gabriel Wong

Janet Woolard

Employee Relations

The Employee Relations Committee is represented by practitioners who practice in the fields of employment, industrial relations and diversity (including discrimination and harassment).

The fields of law dealt with by the Committee may be subject to substantive legislative change depending on the Government of the day.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Cory Fogliani
Chair

Giacomo Giorgi
Deputy Chair

Robert French

Kendra Hagan

Michael Jensen

Stephen Kemp

Hannah Penwarden

Rajesh Saharn

Daniel Stojanoski

Isabella Wilson

Environment, Town Planning and Local Government

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Denis McLeod
Chair

Glen McLeod
Deputy Chair

Andrew Carr

Steven Halls

Eve Lynch

Alexander McGlue

Belinda Moharich

Matthew Pudovskis

Linda Rowley

Craig Slarke

Stephen Willey
ex officio

Ethics

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Fiona Stanton
Chair

Paul Evans
Deputy Chair

Michael Cashman

Paul Donovan

Karen Farley SC

Dr Andrew Lu AM

Ashley Macknay (PEC)

Alain Musikanth SC

Grace Ritter

Craig Slater

Francis Burt Law Education Programme and Old Court House Museum Advisory

The Committee oversees the activities of the Francis Burt Law Education Programme (the Programme), including the Mock Trial Competition (the Competition), and the Old Court House Law Museum (the Museum); and the Law Society’s Education and Community Services.

These valuable services allow the Western Australian community, interstate and international visitors to reflect on the rule of law in Western Australia; its significance, its impact, the freedoms and opportunities that it affords as well as injustices that have taken place, looming threats and concerns.

For more information about this committee please email schools@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Marshall McKenna
Chair

Joshua Aston

Toni Church

Professor Robert Cunningham

Dean Curtis

Emeritus Professor Peter Handford

Katja Levy

Kelly Martinelli

David Price

The Honourable Chief Justice Peter Quinlan

Professor Natalie Skead

Professor Joan Squelch

Sonia Walker

Aine Whelan

General Conditions for the Sale of Land

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Frank Poeta
Chair

Jolene Ashworth

Peter Beekink

Henrik Bendtsen

Craig Bradley (REIWA)

Murray Broadbent

Damian Collins

Anthony Davis

Marcus Easthope

Megan Johnston

Ross McCallum (REIWA)

Simon Moen

Peta Whyte

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Coraline De Zilwa
YLC

Haley Graydon

Cathryn Greville

Kendra Hagan

Mark Hemery

Michael Jensen

Greg McIntyre

Sara Pearson

Ilse Petersen

Rajesh Saharan

Rabia Siddique

Carolyn Tan

Charmaine Tsang
LCA EO Committee representative

In-house/Government Lawyers

The In-house/Government Lawyers Committee aims to promote and support the specific needs of in-house and government lawyers within the Law Society. It particularly seeks to promote increased understanding in the wider profession of the in-house sector which constitutes over 30% of the national legal profession.

The Committee continues to support the Law Society’s CPD programme with suggestions for seminars and participation in seminars which not only engage the in-house sector but also inform and educate the private profession on the particular challenges facing in-house practitioners.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Pamela Hass
Chair

Ilse Petersen
Deputy Chair

Michael Berkeley-Hill

Elisabeth Edwards

Amanda Kailis

Zoran Vukojevic

Michelle Wolstenholme

Indigenous Legal Issues

The Committee continues to support the First Nations Action Plan (FNAP) of the Law Society, with two representatives from the Committee sitting on the Law Society’s FNAP Working Group. The Working Group has responsibility for progressing the initiatives of Law Society’s FNAP. The initiatives of the FNAP include implementing cultural awareness training for all staff and providing information to members on incorporating cultural awareness training as a component of continuing professional development.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the Law Society’s Mentoring Programme for Indigenous law students and a priority is to ensure the processes designed to facilitate the mentoring of Indigenous law students operate effectively.

The Committee continues to work closely with the Francis Burt Legal Education Programme to provide input and advice in relation to programmes and initiatives being developed by the Programme.

The Committee maintains liaison with other relevant committees with representation on the UWA Indigenisation of the Juris Doctor Project Reference Group and the Law Council of Australia Indigenous Legal Issues Committee.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Greg McIntyre SC
Chair

Jenny McKenzie
Deputy Chair

Kelsi Forrest

Aparna Jayasekera

June Kenny
ex officio

Juanita King

Judy McLean
ex officio

John Ralph

Insolvency and Reconstruction

The Insolvency and Reconstruction Law Committee is a Committee of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.

The Committee continues to liaise with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Financial Security Authority and the Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association, and the Committee is ably assisted by Adrian Saggers of ASIC and Paul Devellerez of AFSA who continue regularly attending its meetings and provide invaluable insights.

The Committee also works with other members of the Law Council’s subcommittee in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Chris Pearce
Chair

Dan Butler

Rebecca Collins

Michelle Dean

James Healy

Tom Langdon

Nirupa Manohara

Sarah Marsegaglia

Robert McKenzie

Adrian Saggers

Intellectual Property and Technology

The Intellectual Property and Technology Committee provides a forum for promoting and reviewing the practice and development of intellectual property, technology and data protection law. The Committee also provides an advisory resource to the Law Society Council on matters relating to intellectual property, information and communications technology as well as data, privacy and security.

Members of the Intellectual Property and Technology Committee are also involved in external bodies such as the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ) and IP Australia, the statutory body that administers intellectual property laws in Australia.

The Committee welcomes opportunities to assist the Law Society in informing practitioners and the public on matters relating to intellectual property and technology law, particularly given the rapidly developing digital economy in which we operate.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Eli Bernstein
Chair

Samuel Fiddian

Iain Freeman

Lauren Gore

Amy Lee

Nadia Mansour

Clare Mould

Tenille Provost

David Stewart

Joint Law Society/Women Lawyers of WA

The Joint Law Society/Women Lawyers Committee is a committee with representation from the Law Society and the Women Lawyers of Western Australia (Inc).

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Libby Fulham (Law Society)
Chair

Karess Dias (Law Society)
Deputy Chair

Rachel Eaton (Law Society)

Lisa Guagliardo (WLWA)

Farah Mehta (WLWA)

Aleksandra Miller
(Law Society / Young Lawyers Committee)

Emily Mills (WLWA)

Sara Pearson (Law Society)

Elisha Rayner (WLWA)

Kirsten Scott
LSWA representative on LCA Equal Opportunity Committee

Maya vanden Driesen (Law Society)

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee was formed in 2011 having been an ad hoc committee on Psychological Distress and Depression in the Legal Profession and Bullying.

The Committee focuses on the need for education in the profession on health and wellbeing topics.

The Committee is proactive in advocating the use and access of the Law Society’s LawCare WA programme and monitors the use of the Member Assistance Programme (counselling service).

The Committee also advocates the need to self-disclose mental illness when running a practice in the event that the practitioner is struggling to cope.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

David Davidson
Chair

Jessica Baynes

Michael Berkeley-Hill

Coraline De Zilwa

Libby Fulham

Angie Gimisis

Rebecca Rorrison (ex officio)

Sukhwant Singh

Nik Snare

Julia Sutherland

Stacey Wellings

Michelle Wolstenholme

Personal Injuries and Workers’ Compensation

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Joel Trigg
Chair

Mark Civitella
Deputy Chair

David Bruns

Daniel Coster

Irena Ferraro

Asanka Gunasekera

Vidal Hockless

Sophie Nauwelaers

Gray Porter

Kerry Wood

Professional Indemnity Insurance Management Committee

For more information about this committee please email info@lawmutualwa.com.au

Committee Members

Dudley Stow
Chair

Jocelyne Boujos

Robert Evans

Peter Forbes

Gary Mack

Paula Wilkinson

Professional Standards Scheme

The Law Society’s Professional Standards Scheme commenced on 1 July 2014. The Scheme caps occupational liability of participating members at $1.5 million, $5 million or $10 million depending on the insurance policies and total annual fee income of the law practice.

The Professional Standards Scheme Committee was established to:

  • consider issues relating to the Scheme, the Professional Standards Councils (PSCs) and the Professional Standards Act 1997 (WA);
  • act under specific delegation of the Law Society’s Council, where granted, to make decisions in accordance with the Scheme and the Professional Standards Act 1997 (WA);
  • develop policy to assist in administering the Scheme;
  • make recommendations from time to time to Law Society’s Council regarding the administration of the Scheme; and
  • review the Scheme from time to time.

Key features of the new Scheme include an insurance standard developed in the interests of members and consumers of legal services to ensure the quality, consistency and level of insurance of participants in the Scheme; the incorporation of Tasmania through mutual recognition provisions; and the inclusion of a provision addressing the capping of liability those who are subject both to the Scheme and to another scheme under professional standards legislation.

For more information about this committee please email pss@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Vidal Pinckney-Hockless
Chair

Carolyn Moss

Jocelyne Boujos

Nicola Watts

Property Law

Members of the Property Law Committee represent the Law Society on a number of external stakeholder groups and committees including the Law Council of Australia Legal Practice Section Australian Property Law Group, and the Law Council of Australia e-conveyancing Working Group. The Committee representatives (as well as Committee members generally) review public consultation papers released by the e-conveyancing industry.

As part of its terms of reference, the Committee continues to monitor issues of potential impact on practitioners in the property area generally, including specific legislative changes, significant cases and Government policy reforms.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Marcus Easthope
Chair

Mark Atkinson

Peter Beekink

Christopher Booth

Murray Broadbent

Anthony Davis

Susan Dukes
ex officio

Meagan Johnston

Christine Scott

Andreas von Altenstadt

Peta Whyte

Gabriel Wong

Quality Practice Standard

2018/19 Annual Report

The QPS committee administers the Quality Practice Standard scheme for the Society.

For more information about this committee please email qps@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

Craig Slater
Chair

Jocelyne Boujos

Andrew McGuiness

Anthony Fifield

Murray Thornhill

Teresa Szunejko

Kevin Chalklin

Taxation

The Taxation Committee meets as a joint Committee of the Law Society of Western Australia and the Law Council of Australia. The Committee meets bi-monthly, but if needed monthly meetings take place.

Members of the Committee have been active presenting Continuing Professional Development seminars for the Law Society and the Committee continues to work with the Brief Committee in preparing regular columns on current taxation issues to further the education of readers and members of the Law Society. This initiative has been very successful. In addition, some refinements have been implemented to ensure a regular stream of articles for forthcoming issues of Brief.

The Committee members have been involved in serving on various Committees of the Law Society, the Law Council of Australia and various advisory Taxation Committees involving the Australian Taxation Office and other representative organisations. Future seminars are proposed on both State and Federal Revenue developments.

The Committee acknowledges the contribution of:

  • Grahame Young for keeping the Committee apprised of all State and Interstate Revenue Issues and developments at the State Revenue Office; and
  • Humphry Faas for keeping the Committee informed of recent developments in taxation being considered by the Taxation Committee of the Law Council of Australia (LCA).

Members of the Committee attended the LCA Taxation Committee’s Annual Workshop, where Committee Members Humphry Faas and Rob Sceales were panel members for the Small Business Tax Issues discussion.

For more information about this committee please email General Manager, Advocacy – Mary Woodford, advocacy@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Committee Members

David Murphy (LCA)
Chair

Humphry Faas (LCA)
Deputy Chair

Jocelyne Boujos (LSWA)

Matthew Crowley (LSWA)

John Hockley (LCA)

Alain Musikanth SC (LSWA)

Robert Sceales (LCA)

Daniel Taborsky (LCA)

Clare Thompson (LCA)

Zoran Vukojevic (LSWA)

Grahame Young (LCA)