Staying connected to colleagues and clients, adjusting to new ways of working and dealing with mental strain and stress have been the biggest challenges arising from the COVID-19 outbreak for LIV members, according to an August survey.

Members said they were looking to the LIV over coming months to help them stay on top of government updates and changes, for online provision of professional development programs and to lobby on their behalf on issues of importance to the profession. 

Satisfaction with the LIV has risen significantly since the last member survey in 2018. Significant improvements were cited in the LIV’s reputation, professional development, compliance and practice management support and resources. The LIJ, CPD programs and LawNews were the top three LIV resources used by members. 

While more than half of respondents said their employment status had not changed, 20 per cent said they were working fewer hours per week, while nearly 15 per cent were working more hours. 

More than 80 per cent said they expected a change in their working environment in coming months, 77 per cent expected more virtual contact with clients and 67 per cent said they expected to change from face-to-face to online consumption of business services. Just 2.5 per cent said they did not expect any long term effects. 

LIV CEO Adam Awty said it was gratifying to see the increase in support for the LIV’s products and services over the past two years. “We will use the responses to tailor further support for members, including COVID-19 practice resources and wellbeing and mental health advice, as they move to COVID normal,” he said.

LIV education goes online 

The LIV has been delivering its educational and professional development entirely online since March, providing members with education and training activities during the pandemic lockdown. 

Five LIV conferences were held entirely via Zoom this year: Government Lawyers, Criminal Lawyers, Property Lawyers, Succession Lawyers and the Regional and Suburban Lawyers Conference.

Six practice management courses have been run online since the beginning of the pandemic restrictions. With the help of faculty members, the course was redesigned within a week to make it appropriate to an online setting. Participant numbers have stayed strong despite the online learning environment.

The CPD program started in early November, three months earlier than usual, giving members the chance to spread their compliance activities over a longer period of time. Sessions are available as webinars and also as videos after the VLSB+C permitted these as an eligible CPD activity this year due to the pandemic lockdown. 

Specialist accreditation assessments across eight areas of law also went ahead, with the oral delivery simulation sessions conducted via Zoom rather than in person. The LIV partnered with e-learning provider Elumina to deliver a digital platform that enabled remote invigilation of the written exams. Numbers of participants were up by more than half on last year. ■