Resource lists key human attributes and skills state's lawyers need
The Law Society of NSW has announced the solicitor capability framework, a new resource that seeks to equip the state’s 43,000 solicitors with the human behaviours and non-technical skills necessary to thrive in their current and future legal practice.
The new framework lists seven primary priority capabilities the law society considers crucial to the growth and development of NSW solicitors in all sectors and practice areas. The resource also lists the skills associated with these capabilities:
The framework also identifies seven secondary priority capabilities and their associated behaviours, which the law society also deems important when considering best practices for the state’s solicitors:
“This Framework will become increasingly important in the face of rapidly developing technology and ways of practice, to identify and focus on the human attributes and skills that are vital to all solicitors,” said Jennifer Ball, president of the Law Society of NSW, in a media release.
The new resource aims to help NSW’s solicitors and other legal professionals gain or improve the human behaviours, developmental experiences, and learning opportunities they need to strengthen their legal careers and provide reliable legal services to the community.
In the law society’s media release, Ball acknowledged the importance of specialist knowledge and skills obtained through education and work experience in attaining these goals.
Ball said the resource reflects her presidential priority this term to deliver ‘quality support for solicitors’ success.’ Ball clarified that the framework does not replace NSW legal practitioners’ continuing professional development obligations or ethical duties.
In the media release, Ball said the law society developed the framework after significant research and consultation with its members and thought leaders in the relevant areas.
In an address at the beginning of 2025, Ball committed to providing a framework with the necessary skills for law school graduates to be ‘practice ready’ when commencing work.
“While the Framework was being developed, it became clear that equipping lawyers with the means to establish, maintain and continually improve the qualities that make a well-rounded lawyer should not be limited to graduates, but applies to everyone in legal practice whatever their career stage,” Ball said in the media release.
