The Society's Law Practice Management Course

The Society’s Accredited Law Practice Management Course (LPMC) has been specifically designed for legal practitioners taking the step to becoming law practice principals, whether as sole practitioners, partners or directors of law practices and will provide instruction and guidance on a range of law practice management issues from regulatory requirements to financial and risk management.

The course facilitators are all experts in their fields. The professional legal ethics and risk management modules are presented by Society staff who have first-hand experience in the obligations and the needs of the South Australian legal profession. Our course will be taught via a mixture of in-person and online sessions. There are four online modules that may be commenced prior to the commencement of the first scheduled course. There are several marked assessments throughout the course where participants must demonstrate competency, as per LPEAC requirements.

For more information about the Accredited LPMC requirements for current and prospective Category A and B practising certificate holders, please see Accredited Law Practice Management Course Requirements.

The Society's LPMC Structure

For more information about the specific modules, please see the accordions below.

Managing Technology - Online Module

Course Description
If a law practice wants to be competitive and profitable, then it must implement the correct systems that will lead to the growth of the business. Law practices must harness technology to deliver better and faster services to clients while identifying the potential technological risks, e.g., human error, viruses and malicious attacks.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• The importance of Information technology in delivering better outcomes for clients;
• The appropriate strategies that can be used to evaluate the technological needs of a law practice;
• How to manage the financial aspects of maintaining various computer systems;
• The technological solutions that will address business problems;
• The importance of managing cyber risk within a law practice.

Presenter
Daniel Wasiewicz (Law Society SA, Risk Solicitor Law Claims) delivers this one and half hour online recording. This presentation focuses primarily on the pivotal role of information technology within the modern-day law practice. This presentation will provide insights into evaluating a practice’s tech needs, deploying strategic solutions to business challenges as well as the need to remain vigilant against the threat of cyber-attacks that target law practices within South Australia. This module will equip practitioners with the knowledge to leverage technology effectively, ensuring both the growth and security of their practices.

Assessment
Participants are required to complete a multiple-choice assessment. The number of attempts allowed is two.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to listen to an online recording of one and half hours plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Trust Accounting - Online Module

Course Description
Trust money is handled by a law practice on behalf of their clients to whom they owe fiduciary duties. Therefore, it is important that the trust account records provide an audit trail and historical record of all transactions undertaken. This module explains the legislative and record keeping practices that a law practice is required to comply with when operating a Trust Account.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• What trust money is;
• Maintaining trust records-basic and secondary;
• Trust Account Statements;
• Other types of trust money.

Presenter
Alison Hodkin is a highly knowledgeable specialist who has more than 25 years’ experience in legal accounting in Australia and the UK. Recently Alison worked for the Law Society SA for ten years as a Law Practice Compliance Investigator. Her extensive knowledge of Trust Accounting is shared in this online module.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to listen to an online recording of one-hour plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
Participants are required to complete a multiple-choice assessment. The number of attempts allowed is two.

Professional Legal Ethics – Online Module

Course Description
The purpose of this module is to equip participants with the necessary information to enable them to engage in law practice with confidence, having an understanding of the framework they will operate in.

It will further highlight to a practitioner their professional obligations to assist them to ask the right question at the appropriate time. Participants will also receive information about the available support services for participants to provide them with appropriate tools to deal with difficult and stressful situations that may arise from operating their own law practice.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• How to set up systems to promote ethical practices;
• The regulatory bodies and instruments;
• The importance of retainers, costs, billing and related issues;
• Notifiable data breaches

Presenter
Werner Van Wyk (Law Society SA, Deputy Director Ethics and Practice, since 2017) delivers this one-hour online recording. A primary focus of this role is to respond to inquiries for advice or assistance from the profession and members of the public with respect to ethical, trust accounting, and practice issues.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to listen to a one hour online recording plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
Participants are required to provide written answers to a case scenario. This assessment is marked pass/fail.

Risk Management – Online Module

Course Description
This module explores the different types of risk that need to be managed in law practice. The primary objective of the module is to build awareness of the essential skills and techniques for managing risk effectively and highlights the substantial risks that arise when these skills and techniques are ignored or not effectively utilised.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• Risk management, what it is and why it matters;
• Risk management strategies;
• The importance of educating employees of risk management in claims prevention;
• The necessity to develop and implement a coherent, practice-wide risk management framework.

Presenter
Grant Feary (Law Society SA, Legal Risk Counsel) and Diarmid Lee (Director, Leed Consulting) deliver this two-hour online recording. Grant’s current role involves assisting in the management of the Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme, managing claims in relation to that Scheme as well as implementing and overseeing the Risk Management Activities for the Society.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to listen to an online recording of two hours plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
Participants are required to provide written answers to a case scenario. This assessment is marked pass/fail.

Developing your Business and Marketing your Practice - In-Person

Course Description
An effective strategic business plan will help a law practice to stay focused and achieve its goals and objectives. The two sessions of this module will challenge participants to clarify their business model by working through the ABC of strategy.

You will also learn how to take a strategic approach to your marketing and communication that helps you deliver on your business plan, going beyond marketing for marketing’s sake. You will identify and weigh up a raft of communication activities that can be managed in the medium to long-term, taking into consideration your resources of time, budget and staffing.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• How to Identify the strengths and weaknesses that will serve as the basis for your business] model;
• Which services will be delivered and at what price;
• How to draft a business plan which includes financial and market analysis
• How to develop a structure for a good marketing and communication strategy;
• The importance of client relationship management.

Presenter
Steven Nayda is an experienced business management consultant. He has vast consulting experience with private and public sector clients in Australia and New Zealand across diverse industry sectors including government, professional financial services, education, energy, health, transport, and not-for-profit.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to attend this six hour workshop, plus approximately four hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
This module requires participants to complete a business plan for their practice. There are several components to this business plan, one of which is the inclusion of marketing and communication strategies. This assessment is marked pass/fail.

Principles of Human Resource Management - In-Person

Course Description
The two sessions of this module will focus on the skills to be adopted to manage all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from behavioural event interviewing and performance management, followed by a session focusing on the legislative requirements regarding remuneration, contracts and the responsibilities of the Person Conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), in relation to workplace bullying and harassment.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• How to recruit and select appropriate employees;
• What leaders can do on a day-to-day basis to delegate effectively;
• The role and responsibilities of the PCBU;
• The legislative framework and the statutory provisions in relation to the employment relationship.

Presenter
Marnie Brokenshire is a seasoned C-Suite Executive with 30+ years of experience in strategy, culture, human resources, industrial relations, governance, risk management, and organisational change. Marnie holds qualifications in law, human resources, strategy, organisational change, and is a Graduate of the AICD. Drawing on her extensive experience, Marnie will provide practical insights and tools to ensure best practice employment governance.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to attend this six-hour workshop plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
Participants are required to complete a written assessment based on key content questions; this assessment will be marked pass/fail.

Principles of Leadership - In-Person

Course Description
A well-managed practice can lack leadership; equally, an inspired leader is not necessarily an effective manager in terms of specific task and risk management. A successful practice requires both. The ability to think critically and reflect on ourselves, our interactions with others and the world around us is a critical leadership skill. The emphasis in this module is on the practice of leadership. This module will assist participants to identify those leadership behaviours that promote high performance in themselves and others.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• The difference between effective and ineffective leadership;
• How to adapt their role and behaviours in managing others;
• How to select the appropriate leadership skill for a sole legal practice or a multidisciplinary practice.

Presenter
Diarmid Lee (Director, Leed Consulting) will deliver this four-hour workshop face-to-face or via video conferencing. With both a Psychology degree and an LLB Honours degree from the University of Adelaide, Diarmid’s first professional career was as a corporate lawyer. Diarmid specialises in working with clients to identify what needs to be done to create a high performing culture across the business - and then helps them to do it.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to attend this four-hour workshop plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
Participants will be able to review their profile prior to the commencement of course and the profiles will be discussed further during the four-hour workshop.

Financial Management- In-Person

Course Description
To ensure that a law practice is successful, it is important to understand the financial aspects of the business. In this module, participants will be introduced to accounting principles, key performance indicators and accounting ratios and benchmarks. All these elements assist in determining the profitability of a practice.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, participants are expected to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:

• The financial attributes of a successful law practice;
• Planning for staffing and chargeable hours;
• How to prepare a profit and loss and balance sheet forecast;
• How to monitor profitability, balance sheets and cash flow.

Presenter
Henry Botha (Higgins Botha) will deliver this four-hour workshop face to face or via video conferencing. Henry has more than 30 years’ experience in the finance industry and is a well-regarded presenter specialising in financial management. As an Associate of the Melbourne Business School, he delivers strategic finance on many programs in Australia and Malaysia.

Workload
As a guide, participants will be required to attend this four-hour workshop plus approximately two hours of self-directed learning.

Assessment
The assessment is designed for both small and large law practices. Participants are required to use the information they learned during the Financial Management module together with the Financial Management manual and workbook to complete the seven activities outlined in the assessment. This assessment is marked pass/fail.

Upcoming Law Practice Management Course

The next LPMC will start on Friday, 4 September. To register your attendance at this course, please click here.

Registration Fees

Members: $1,800
Non-Members: $2,000