Continuing projects
Ethical Culture Check for Law Firms
The LSC has developed an online "ethical culture check" for law firms which we have “road-tested” in earlier versions with a number of Brisbane based law firms. We want to acknowledge and thank Susan Francis of Thynne and McCartney, Glen Cranny of Gilshenan and Luton, Ian Hughes of Deacons, Pat Mullins of Mullins Lawyers and Jonathan Shaw of Blake Dawson for so generously giving of their time and for their thoughtful and helpful feedback. The final product is very much better for their contribution.
Completing the on-line survey helps firms to think about their ethical culture and how well it supports the people who work within the firm to aspire to and sustain high standards of professional practice. In particular, it enables law firms to compare how people at different levels within their organization respond to the same questions that go to the heart of their ethical culture and hence potentially to identify ways in which it might be strengthened and improved. There are many reasons why it is important for firms to have a strong ethical culture. It is important not only because strong ethical cultures nurture and sustain high standards of professional practice but also because that makes good business sense. Good ethical practice makes for good professional practice which makes for good risk management. All the evidence suggests that firms with strong ethical cultures are best able to recruit and retain skilled and committed staff and to withstand business challenges and setbacks. Last but certainly not least, having a good ethical culture is integral in protecting the rights and interests of legal services consumers.
Other continuing projects (as at February 2008)
1. The Lawyers, Clients and the Business of Law Symposium Series: An ongoing partnership with the Griffith Socio-Legal Research Centre.
2. Analysis of the Commission’s complaints database: An ongoing in-house project that, among other things, seeks to identify the practitioners and practices most at risk of complaint.
3. Interactive ethical scenarios project: An ongoing partnership with the Centre for Biological Information Technology at the University of Queensland (and other project partners on a scenario by scenario basis) that is designed to give lawyers and law students opportunities to engage on-line and seek to resolve real world ethical problems arising in the course of legal practice.
4. Ethical Culture Check for Law Firms: The ethical health check for law firms is an on-line instrument that allows firms to think about their ethical culture and how well it supports the people who work within their firm to aspire to and sustain high standards of professional practice and perhaps to identify some ways in which it can be strengthened and improved.
5. Women in the Law in Queensland: An ongoing collaboration with the University of Queensland on the likelihood of complaints against female solicitors as compared to male solicitors.
Completed projects (as at February 2008)
1. Survey on unsatisfactory professional conduct: A project undertaken with the support and assistance of the Griffith Law School that tested how lawyers, law students and members of the public understand and apply the concept of unsatisfactory professional conduct to a range of factual scenarios that are typical of complaints the Commission receives every day about the conduct of lawyers.
Last updated 9/04/2008 12:13:18 PM