Less than 5,000 solicitors in the state are based in rural areas
A regional jobs board has been established to draw solicitors to country NSW, bolstering access to justice in that part of the state.
The platform, Careers in the Country, is free and open to Law Society member practice principals for the listing of job vacancies for solicitors and legal support staff in their areas. The board will also publish listings for rural-based Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT and Legal Aid NSW roles.
“The Law Society has long advocated for improved access to justice in rural, regional and remote (RRR) communities because they are among the areas of greatest legal need in our state. The breadth and depth of country legal work can provide early career lawyers with a strong foundation of practice experience on which to build a thriving career in the law, as well as lifestyle benefits of living and working in the regions”, NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball said.
She noted that just 11% (under 5,000) of the 43,620 solicitors with active practising certificates in NSW (as of 30 June) operate from rural NSW.
“If early response to the Careers in the Country platform is any guide, it could change that statistic. In the platform’s first week a little over a month ago, rural practices advertised for 25 vacancies across 13 NSW Regional Law Society areas, indicating healthy demand for solicitors in the bush”, Ball said.
Orana Law Society president and Dubbo resident Jennifer Spear added that an influx of legal talent could strongly benefit RRR communities beyond just legal advice.
“Solicitor newcomers will not only bring fresh perspectives to their new workplaces but will also add to the vitality and diversity of their new communities”, Spear said.
Legal Aid NSW CEO Monique Hitter added that Careers in the Country complemented the organisation’s current strategies to encourage solicitors to relocate to the countryside.
“Our criminal law regional graduate program is providing early career lawyers with intensive training in the city, before a 12–18-month placement in one of our regional offices across country NSW”, Hitter said. “Participants in this program undertake complex work on behalf of the most vulnerable clients in our communities. Given Legal Aid NSW’s continuing reliance on dedicated private solicitors, especially in the regions, we look forward to Careers in the Country helping to improve access to justice in these areas”.
