Accredited specialist solicitor (Australia)

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To be given the title "accredited specialist", is the highest accreditation attainable as a solicitor in Australia. To become an accredited specialist, a solicitor must meet certain requirements and go through various examination stages, testing their skills and knowledge in the specific area of the law that they are competent in. Once a solicitor fulfils the requirements, they are entitled to use the prestigious title of accredited specialist after their name to differentiate themselves as experts in that area of law. [1]

Contents

History

Specialist accreditation was established in 1992 with aims to: [2]

To become an accredited specialist a solicitor needs to meet the following requirements: [2]

Specialist Accreditation exam

The Specialist Accreditation exam occurs every year but once every two years for a specific area of law. For example, there was a specialist accreditation exam for Immigration law in 2018, you'll be expecting the next exam in 2020.

The accreditation process takes approximately 6–7 months until results are released. The processes are as follow:

Areas of law

Only solicitors as individuals can become an accredited specialist, not firms. Specialist accreditation are offered in 18 areas of law: [3]

You can tell when a lawyer is an accredited specialist when they show the logo which is as mark of excellence. [5] When a solicitor or lawyer receives this accreditation it is usually newsworthy due to how hard it is to be obtained. [6] Solicitors that hold this accreditation are usually then appointed to high ranking roles such as the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. [7]

A list of those specialists can be found via the respective states law society to validate that an individual is actually accredited. For example, the accredited solicitors in NSW can be found via NSW LAW SOCIETY. [8]

Accredited Specialist by State in Australia

New South Wales Accredited Specialist

The table below consists of Accredited Specialist in some areas of law in New South Wales. Accredited Specialists can also be found in other areas of law and can be found on the Law Society of New South Wales website.

Australian Immigration LawAdministrative LawDispute Resolution
1Ahn, Kris JoohyungAlden, Scott DominicAndrew, Gary Jon
2Ajuria, LillianCarter, Anthony JamesBazouni, Laura
3Bollard, Peter NeilGaynor, JamesCarter, Karina Elizabeth
4Chao, Laurette MareeHyland, Mireya JaneChipchase, Ian Kenneth
5Conyer, Arnold JoelO'Brien, Michelle MargaretEttinger, Geri
6D'Ambra, Lisa Francesca   Robinson, Kate ThereseJadhav, Shareena
7De Silva, Angela Nadine TheonieRoss, Gregory DenisKeyzer, Ingrid Pearl
8Dobbie, Nigel James   Salem, Phillip AnthonyKinsella, Christopher John
9Duong, Vinh Quang   Taverner, JulianneLewis, Paul Austin
10Gu, Da Wei (David)   Thompson, Stephen GordonMcNamara, Philip James
11Hardy, Richard Earl   Tipene, Chantal LouiseMohindra, Adit
12Hense, Paul Ephraim   Monnox, Christine Therese
13Hijwel, RolaParker, Debra Ellen
14Hildebrand, MartinPatterson, Gary Victor
15Hugo, Etienne De Villiers   Ryan, Richard Erle
16Hunt, Sally Judith   Salkavich, Emma Kate
17Hunter, Kim Lee   Sawley, Cheree Adele
18Jeans, Simon Charles Mitchell   Snell, Jacqueline Ellen
19Johanes, Charles (Charlie)   Stipicic, Maria
20Jones, Michael TerenceStrazzeri, Gaetano (Guy)
21Kah, MichaelStyles, Evatt Charles Ashley
22Kinslor, Joanne JenniferWilliams, Brett John Readford
23Lam, Andie MinhWilson, Janine Amanda
24Levingston, Christopher HughWilson, Lachlan
25Ling, Jason Eng EuLethbridge, Charles
26Liu, Robert Jun-Keong
27McCrudden, Michael Devlin
28Murphy, Kerry Daniel
29O'Donoghue, Anne Frances
30Papadopoulos, Peter
31Prince, David John
32Rigas, Aristidis Alan
33Skaros, Rania
34Smith, Timothy James
35Turner, Raymond Charles (Ray)
36Urquijo, Marcelo
37Varess, Farid
38Viegas, Kathryn Rose
39Vu, Janice Aileen
40Wright, Cherie Anne
41Yip, Phillip
42Harris, Owen David
43Lewis, Marial Assaad Shafik
44Saunders, Alison Valerie
45Soltan, Ayah

Queensland Accredited Specialist

Queensland Law Society currently recognises 10 areas of specialty.

The Specialist Accreditation program in QLD offers accreditation across 10 areas of law:
  • Family
  • Property
  • Succession
  • Taxation
  • Business
  • Criminal
  • Commercial litigation
  • Workplace relations
  • Immigration
  • Personal injuries

Victoria Accredited Specialist

Law Institute of Victoria recognises 16 areas of speciality but not all areas are available at the same time in a given year.

Areas of Accredited Specialisation in Victoria in 2020 vs year 2021.

Year 2020Year 2021
  • Commercial Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Children's Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Environment & Planning Law
  • Immigration Law
  • Wills & Estates
  • Workplace Relations
  • Administrative Law
  • Commercial Tenancy Law
  • Costs Law
  • Family Law
  • Mediation
  • Personal Injury Law
  • Property Law
  • Tax Law

South Australia Accredited Specialist

The Law Society of South Australia currently has 17 Accredited Specialists in two areas of law, Family Law and Immigration Law.

Western Australia Accredited Specialist

The Law Society of Western Australia offers Specialist Accreditation programmes in Family Law, Mediation and Quality Practice Standard.

See also

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References

  1. "About the Specialist Accreditation Program | Law Society main". www.lawsociety.com.au. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Specialist Accreditation 2018 Guide" (PDF).
  3. "Find a Lawyer | Law Society main". www.lawsociety.com.au. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  4. "Federal Register of Legislation – Australian Government". legislation.gov.au. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  5. "Specialist accreditation — Queensland Law Society". Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. "Lawyer achieves specialist accreditation | the Shepparton Adviser". Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  7. Patty, Anna (22 July 2018). "New appointments to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. "Find a Lawyer | Law Society main". www.lawsociety.com.au. Retrieved 3 December 2018.