Program Overview

• Regional and Suburban Conference: Connecting the Community - Friday 20 Nov
  • 9:15 AM Pre-Conference Networking : Connecting over a Cuppa
    Catch up and connect with fellow colleagues and conference attendees. You are sure to see someone you haven’t seen in a while! Enjoy with some Melbourne Tea which we will post out to you.
  • 10:00 AM Conference Opening and Welcome
  • 10:05 AM Law Institute of Victoria Address
  • 10:15 AM Keynote Address – Over the Horizon

    Even with Victoria in the grip of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, which will gradually recede, it is no surprise that the economical aftermath of the pandemic will take longer to recover from. As legal practitioners in Regional and Suburban Victoria, it becomes critical to understand the impacts this will have on your practice, clients and community.

    In this session, hear Simon Phemister provide insights into the regional and suburban economic landscape and discuss key projects and initiatives the department is planning for regional and suburban Victoria to facilitate recovery.

    Compliance area: Practice Management

    Keynote speaker: Simon Phemister, Secretary, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions

    Connecting the community: You will have the opportunity for an interactive Q&A

     

  • 11:05 AM Morning Tea Break / Wellbeing Activity
    Enjoy the scientifically proven benefits of a gratitude exercise with Lauren Kelindeman from Legalite.
  • 11:15 AM The Framework for Good Work Habits

    How good are your work habits? By this we mean how you go about actually doing the work for the client. What are your systems, processes and precedents like? These questions are relevant for every firm.

    Our fast-changing environment makes good work production systems and processes essential for efficiently producing quality work. You can’t keep multiple client matters and multiple deadlines in your head at once and produce quality work in the timeframes required today. Simple mistakes that cost a lot of money can and do happen for want of a better system, process or precedent.

    In this session, Stephen Bubb provides insights on how to establish safe and efficient ways to do the work so that you continue to thrive.

    Compliance area: Practice Management / Professional Skills

    Presenter: Stephen Bubb, Risk Manager, LPLC

    Connecting the community: You will have the opportunity for an interactive Q&A and discussion

     

  • 12:00 PM Lunch
  • 12:30 PM Unlocking the Hidden Business in your Database

    Many legal professionals are hesitant to ask their clients for new or more referrals in the fear of looking ‘salesy’. The reality is that you may be sitting on a goldmine of untapped revenue opportunities that is waiting to be unlocked - if you simply knew how to ask your clients the right questions.

    In this online seminar, you will learn how to:

    • dissolve call apprehension by using active listening,
    • use targeted questioning to unlock new referrals and revenue streams,
    • galvanise your client relationships through practice contact.

    
    

    Compliance area: Practice Management / Professional Skills

    Presenter: Michael Licenblat, Resilience Expert, Bounce Back Fast

    Connecting the community: Features polls and interactive discussion with the facilitator and fellow attendees.

     

  • 1:30 PM Wellbeing Break
  • 1:40 PM Customise your Conference

    External Influencers: Select from any of the 3 sessions below featuring key stakeholders/factors that have a direct impact on you and your practice.
    
    

    Breakout Option 1

    In Conversation with the Experts - Current Updates and Insights in Succession, Property and Commercial Law Practice

    With the future of the Omnibus Act still ambiguous who knows what the case may be come November.

    As the road to recovery remains uncertain, this session provides you with the unique opportunity to discuss key legislative updates and insights at the forefront of your mind.

    Drive the agenda by asking questions and discussing matters to be able to navigate changes that affect your practice and clients. 

    Compliance area: Substantive Law / Practice Management

    Presenters:

    • Simon Libbis, Consultant Prior Law, Accredited Specialist Property Law
    • Mark Bolton, Mark Bolton Legal, Accredited Commercial Law Specialist
    • Ines Kallweit, Principal Solicitor, KHQ Lawyers, Accredited Wills & Estates Specialist

    
    

    Connecting the community: Participate in open discussion with the panel and fellow colleagues

     

    Breakout Option 2

    VLA and your Practice  

    VLA are significant in both regional and suburban practice, especially those who conduct VLA Panel work for crime, family and children’s related matters; an already vulnerable cohort in the rural context made more so by the impact of COVID-19.

    Providing insights into key changes that Victoria Legal Aid have made arising from the pandemic and its impact on their client-base, this session will enhance your understanding of the realities within this organisation and its intersection with your practice.  

    Compliance area: Substantive Law / Practice Management

    Presenters:

    • Peter Noble Executive Director, Services and Innovation
    • Dianna Gleeson, Executive Director, Legal Practice
    • Dan Nicholson, Executive Director, Criminal Law Services

    Connecting the community: Engage in interactive Q&A and discussion with presenters and fellow attendees.

     

    Breakout Option 3

    Courtcraft and your Practice  

    On request by Young Lawyers, this session discusses what could be permanent shifts to how the Courts will operate beyond the pandemic and provides tips and tricks on using the digital platforms to effectively prepare for appearances.

    The presenter will provide feedback and observations about common pitfalls and shortcomings that will allow you to continue to represent your clients effectively in the post-pandemic world.  

    Compliance area: Practice Management / Professional Skills

    Presenter: Magistrate Megan Aumair  

    Connecting the community: Engage in interactive Q&A and discussion with presenters and fellow attendees.

     

  • 2:30 PM Afternoon Tea Break / Wellbeing Activity
    Enjoy some afternoon stretching exercises lead by Lauren Kelindeman from Legalite
  • 2:45 PM Customise your Conference

    Internal Influencers: Select from 3 sessions below featuring key skills you can internalise for favourable outcomes for your practice and your clients.
    
    

    Breakout Option 1

    The Big Picture: Developing a Business Succession Plan  

    The pandemic has catapulted us into the future and what seemed like a 5 year plan has metamorphosed to become a 5 month plan. In such circumstances, for some, future planning isn’t as far away as was envisioned pre-pandemic.

    This session will highlight the need to think and plan ahead to ensure the longevity and success of your practice by providing practical insights into developing a succession plan to enable you to safeguard your personal and business assets.

    Compliance area: Practice Management / Professional Skills

    Presenter: Barry Jenner, Principal, MSA Consulting

    Connecting the community: Work through activities with fellow colleagues through interactive breakout rooms.

     

    Breakout Option 2

    Thinking out of the Box with Pricing and Billing  

    The pandemic is bound to have financial repercussions on you, your practice and also your clients. It will become even more important to remain competitive in a saturated legal services market and walk the fine line of balancing pricing and profitability.

    This session will explore alternative pricing models that provide better price certainty for your clients.

    Our expert presenter will also walk through the myriad of pricing options available, what works and what doesn’t, to help you identify opportunities to drive revenue and profit growth within your firm.

    Compliance area: Practice Management / Professional Skills

    Presenter: Kristie Harpley, Commercial Lawyer, LawSquared

    Connecting the community: Engage in interactive Q&A and discussion with presenters and fellow attendees.
    

    
    Breakout Option 3

    Optimising Your Law Firm’s Existing Technology with Office 365

    The pandemic has driven technology uptake at an unbelievable rate amongst the legal profession, whether it’s for remote working, servicing clients, managing a team or interacting with the Courts. More and more people believe things will never return to way they were before, and that technology will be integrated into daily practice.

    However, having access to technology is not enough and what’s important is knowing how to harness it to make it work for you. In this session, you will receive practical tech tips on how you can maximise the technology you currently have to drive efficiency and improve workflow to give your practice the modern touch.

    Key topics include:
    
    

    • What is the state of Legal Tech in the Australian market?
    • What does a good technology strategy entail?
    • How to use Microsoft Office 365 to create email templates, clause banks, create and allocate tasks and projects, collect client feedback, and automate document review

    
    

    Compliance area: Practice Management / Professional Skills

    Presenters:

    • Eric Chin, Principal, Alpha Creates
    • Graeme Grovum, Principal, Alpha Creates

    
    

    Connecting the community: Work through discussions with the facilitator and fellow colleagues through interactive Q&A.

     

  • 3:45 PM Wellbeing Break
  • 3:50 PM Panel Panorama: Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

    The pandemic has brought its share of bad news, but there is reason to be optimistic too. Think back to a pre-covid-19 world, when you’d ask why something was done in a certain way. The answer was often, “Because that’s the way it’s always been done.” As businesses are forced to plan for how the new workplace will function post pandemic, it is fair to say the tables have almost turned for practitioners in regional and suburban Victoria for the good.

    This session features anecdotes and lived experiences of how personal, client and day-to-day practice challenges were overcome by regional and suburban practitioners who continued to thrive in uncertain times. The expert panel will also discuss the opportunities that lie ahead especially for small and boutique firms who have a nimble approach to decision-making and change compared to big firms that have a heavy corporate machinery.

    Compliance area: Practice Management

    Panelists:
    

    Jacqueline Brauman, TBA Law, Accredited Wills & Estates Specialist

    Anthony Curtin, Managing Partner, Corporate and Commercial, Merton Lawyers

    Moderator:
    

    Karen Finch, CEO, Legally Yours

    Connecting the community: Participate in facilitated breakout discussions where you can share your experiences with fellow colleagues too to culminate the day with robust collaboration.

     

  • 4:35 PM Conference Debrief and Close
  • 4:45 PM Virtual Networking Event
    Meet with practitioners closer to your home in interactive breakout rooms. Use your voucher to bring along a beverage of your choice or nibbles! Support local business and connect with the community!