Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd Annual Report 2000 Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd Annual Report 2000 Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd Annual Report 200 Contents Council and Committees .................................................................................................. 2–3 President’s Review ............................................................................................................ 4–5 CEO’s Review .................................................................................................................... 6–7 Law Institute of Victoria Services and Sections ............................................................ 8–12 Professional Standards ................................................................................................. 13–16 Ethics Committee Report .......................................................................................... 17 Membership/Practising Statistics ................................................................................ 18–21 Financial Reports Financial Commentary .............................................................................................. 22 Operating Statement ................................................................................................. 23 Balance Sheet ............................................................................................................. 23 Statement of Cash Flows ........................................................................................... 24 Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements ..................................... 25–34 Directors’ Declaration ................................................................................................ 35 Report of the Council Members .......................................................................... 35–36 Independent Auditors’ Report ................................................................................... 36 1 Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd Annual Report 2000 Council and Committees as at 31 December 2000 Elected Members of the Law Institute Executive from the left, John Corcoran, David Faram, Tina Millar, Michael Gawler and Simon Begg Simon Begg Rebecca Borden Committees: (from May 2000) • Building & Properties • Executive Committees: • Ethics • Incorporation • Ethics • Law Institute Journal Editorial • Events • Legal Documentation (Chair) • Law Institute Journal Editorial (Chair) • Rules of Practice (Chair) • Membership • Unqualified Practice • Major Firms Council meetings attended: 9/10 • Community Legal Centre Review Taskforce • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce Council meetings attended: 14/14 John Corcoran: Vice-President Peter Caillard Committees: (retired May 2000) • Audit Committees: • Building & Properties (Chair) • Nil • Executive •Incorporation Council meetings attended: 4/4 • Major Firms •Membership • Rules of Practice • Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference Working Party David Faram: Treasurer Council meetings attended: 12/14 Committees: • Audit (Chair) • Awards Michael Gawler: Immediate • Building & Properties • Executive Past President • Country Law Associations Committees: • Membership (Chair) • Audit • Executive • National Legal Education • Incorporation (Chair) • Major Firms • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce • National Issues • Nominating Council meetings attended: 13/14 • Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference Working Party • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce Helen Glass Council meetings attended: 13/14 Committees: • Admission to Practice (Chair) Leonie Kelleher • Articled Clerkship (Chair) • Events Committees: National Legal Education Nominating • • Admission to Practice Audit RPA Trust Monies (Chair) • • • Costs Policy Unqualified Practice (Chair) • • National Legal Education Community Legal Centre Review Taskforce • • Suburban Law Association • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce • Council meetings attended: 10/14 Council meetings attended: 8/10 2 Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd Annual Report 2000 Melissa Macken Tina Millar: President Committees: Committees: • Admission to Practice • Accident Compensation • Audit • Ethics (Chair) • Building & Properties • Ethics • Law Institute Journal Editorial • Executive (Chair) • Major Firms • RPA Trust Monies • Membership • Nominating Council meetings attended: 11/14 • Small Practice • Suburban Law Association (Chair) • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce (Chair) • Specialisation Board Jason Newman Council meetings attended: 12/14 Committees: • Ethics William O’Shea • Law Institute Journal Editorial (from May 2000) • Legal Assistance Scheme Committees: • Road Trauma • Audit • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce • Building & Properties Council meetings attended: 12/14 • Major Firms • Membership Council meetings attended: 8/10 Judith Peirce (from May 2000) Committees: Ian Petty • Ethics (retired May 2000) • Legal Assistance Scheme Committees: • Membership • Nil • Community Legal Centre Review Taskforce Council meetings attended: 3/4 (Chair) Council meetings attended: 9/10 Geoff Provis Moira Rayner Committees: (retired March 2000) • Accident Compensation (Chair) Committees: • Awards (Chair) • Major Firms • Nil • Building & Properties Council meetings attended: 2/2 • Common Law Rights (Chair) • Medico Legal Joint Standing (Co-Chair) • National Issues (Chair) • Road Trauma • National Legal Education •Incorporation • Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference Working Party Council meetings attended: 11/14 Andrew Scott (retired May 2000) Erskine Rodan Committees: Committees: • Nil • Awards Council meetings attended: 4/4 • Legal Assistance Scheme • Nominating • Suburban Law Association • Community Legal Centre Review Taskforce • Legal Practice Act Review Taskforce Council meetings attended: 12/14 John Weigl Committees: • Country Law Association James Syme • Nominating Committees: • Road Trauma • Audit • Events (Chair) • RPA Trust Monies • Building & Properties • Incorporation • Rules of Practice • Major Firms (Chair) • Membership • Unqualified Practice • National Issues • Specialisation Board • Nominating (Chair) Council meetings attended: 11/14 • RPA Trust Monies • Rules of Practice • Solicitors’ Mortgage Investment Companies Mark Woods Council meetings attended: 12/14 Committees: • Country Law Association (Chair) • Legal Assistance Scheme (Chair) John Whelan • Membership • National Issues Committees: • Solicitors’ Mortgage Investment Companies (Chair) • Costs Policy (Chair) • Commonwealth Law Association Conference • Country Law Association Working Party (Chair) • Nominating • Community Legal Centre Review Taskforce • Small Practices (Chair) • Specialisation Board Council meetings attended: 12/14 Council meetings attended: 12/14 3 Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd Annual Report 2000 President’s Review egulation of the profession was a major issue in R2000. An enormous amount of work went into preparing a submission to the state government’s Legal Practice Act Review. We have been able to show clearly the glaring deficiencies in the present system of regulation of the profession and demonstrate how it can be improved. There can be no doubt that public faith is eroded through a system that is both clumsy and confusing. The argument for an efficient, easily understood system is overwhelming. And it would be just as powerful on the basis of economics. The cost to the taxpayer and to members of the present system is too high. We have been able to show that savings of about $2.1 million a year can be made. From about $6.7 million in 1993–94, the cost of regulation has blown out to almost $11 million a year. Members would be astonished to know of the extraordinary amount of work that was done by members of the executive and others, in their own time, as well as by staff, on the Institute’s response to the Issues Paper on the Legal Practice Act Review. The profession and the public must benefit from this review. Trying to meet as many members of the Institute as possible, as well as those with a role or interest in in the profession. During a visit to the 122nd annual our activities, means attending a considerable number meeting of the American Bar Association in New of meetings. I have tried to attend as many meetings York and London, I was inspired by the way women of country and suburban law associations as possible lawyers help and promote each other. The Americans’ and have certainly met a great number of the Section system of awards for women’s professional accom- members, consulting with them and hearing their plishment and role in opening doors for others views. The warmth with which I have been greeted demonstrates a way forward. has been most encouraging. What I did learn, too, was that the Americans are As well, I have sought to enhance the standing of struggling to a much greater degree than us on the the profession by accepting invitations to as many issue of multi-disciplinary practices, with the proposal activities as I could. I would mention one outstand- that lawyers share fees and work in the same firm as ing example of the activities that I have undertaken non-legal professionals running up against all sorts – I spoke at a leadership forum run by the north- of opposition. eastern region of the Victorian Department of Employ- Victorian Women Lawyers held a significant ment, Education and Training. Such occasions are symposium to discuss ways to change the workplace wonderful opportunities to explain what we lawyers and the profession’s culture in order to keep more do and how we came to be where we are. women in the law. A new approach