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[RogueAcademic]

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Canberra considers plan to attract lawyers to the bush

Nicola Berkovic | January 30, 2009

Article from: The Australian

THE Rudd Government is considering a plan to slash university debts for law students who agree to work in country towns.

The Government is hoping the plan will ease chronic shortages of lawyers in the bush.

In a budget submission last Friday, the Law Council of Australia called for urgent measures to entice young lawyers to regional areas, with up to a third of country lawyers set to retire in the next 10 to 15 years.

The incentives sought include payment of HECS debt, tax breaks and monetary allowances or subsidised housing for graduates or lawyers who move to regional areas.

New Law Council president John Corcoran told The Australian young lawyers were needed to boost the ageing and over-stretched legal workforce.

"We see this as a fundamental access to justice issue," Mr Corcoran said. "There is a shortage of lawyers in many parts of regional Australia; it's an ageing group of lawyers and we really need to come up with solutions to get young lawyers into these areas."

Mr Corcoran, who took up the role of president this month, said there was a 25 per cent shortfall of lawyers in certain areas.

The shortage meant some clients were forced to travel to regional centres or capital cities to access family, criminal and commercial law services, which increased costs and compromised service. "For there to be good access to justice you need to be able to get those services close to where you live," he said.

The Law Council has urged the federal Government to provide scholarships for country students and increase opportunities for law students to complete their practical training in regional areas.

The council has not put a price tag for the proposal, but intends to submit a detailed report to the Government in March, following a national survey of rural, regional and remote lawyers.

A spokesman for Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the Rudd Government understood the importance of ensuring access to justice in the country.

"The Government welcomes the suggestions put forward by the Law Council and will consider them in the budget process," he said.

Former Tasmanian Law Society president Leanne Topfer, who is a partner of a small practice in the northern town of Burnie, said there was a serious shortage of lawyers with mid-tier experience in her area. "We have a smattering of one to two-year out lawyers. Then there's a huge gap and there's a lot of lawyers who are verging on retirement," she said. "In five years time, I think there's going to be a huge problem," she said.

Ms Topfer, who moved to Burnie with her husband more than 20 years ago intending to stay for two years, said young lawyers stayed for one or two years and then tended to leave.

"It becomes very frustrating for us because we put a lot of energy and money and time into training them," she said.

She said the key was encouraging them to stay long enough to find a partner and build ties with the community.

In June last year, Mr McClelland announced $5.8 million to boost legal services in the bush. The money was provided through legal aid commissions in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania and community legal centres. Rosemarie Coxon, who runs Legal Aid Queensland's Regional Solicitor Program, said it was a battle to find enough young lawyers willing to move to the bush.

The program places graduates in private law firms and covers 75 per cent of their wage. In return, they spend three-quarters of their time on legal aid work.

It has placed 34 lawyers in 15 Queensland towns in four years, but Ms Coxon said incentives such as rental assistance and help with moving costs would go a long way to attracting more young lawyers into the program.

Elvina Ogil is one young lawyer who has bucked the trend of lawyers fleeing regional areas. The 28-year-old had barely heard of the central Queensland town of Emerald when she moved there last year with the help of the Regional Solicitor Program. Now she is planning to stay there permanently.

But she said the Government could help with rental subsidies, as the rent in mining districts was "exorbitant" compared to the city, while legal salaries were lower.

[Marmalade.]

I wouldn't chose my career based on avoiding uni debt. Although I like the idea of living somewhere quiet, I think I'd be bored living in a small town with relatively few people. I also think that I'd like to start in a large company to begin with, then move somewhere smaller once I've had a decent amount of experience. I also really don't want to have clients who are literally people off the street - the average person is too stupid and annoying, and their issues would be boring.

[RogueAcademic]

Originally Posted by Marmalade.

I also really don't want to have clients who are literally people off the street - the average person is too stupid and annoying, and their issues would be boring.

..?

[DeVenne]

I think you will find there are stupid and annoying people everywhere, not just those who walk off the street..

[DaGizza]

Originally Posted by RogueAcademic

Canberra considers plan to attract lawyers to the bush

Nicola Berkovic | January 30, 2009

Article from: The Australian

THE Rudd Government is considering a plan to slash university debts for law students who agree to work in country towns.

The Government is hoping the plan will ease chronic shortages of lawyers in the bush.

In a budget submission last Friday, the Law Council of Australia called for urgent measures to entice young lawyers to regional areas, with up to a third of country lawyers set to retire in the next 10 to 15 years.

The incentives sought include payment of HECS debt, tax breaks and monetary allowances or subsidised housing for graduates or lawyers who move to regional areas.

New Law Council president John Corcoran told The Australian young lawyers were needed to boost the ageing and over-stretched legal workforce.

"We see this as a fundamental access to justice issue," Mr Corcoran said. "There is a shortage of lawyers in many parts of regional Australia; it's an ageing group of lawyers and we really need to come up with solutions to get young lawyers into these areas."

Mr Corcoran, who took up the role of president this month, said there was a 25 per cent shortfall of lawyers in certain areas.

The shortage meant some clients were forced to travel to regional centres or capital cities to access family, criminal and commercial law services, which increased costs and compromised service. "For there to be good access to justice you need to be able to get those services close to where you live," he said.

The Law Council has urged the federal Government to provide scholarships for country students and increase opportunities for law students to complete their practical training in regional areas.

The council has not put a price tag for the proposal, but intends to submit a detailed report to the Government in March, following a national survey of rural, regional and remote lawyers.

A spokesman for Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the Rudd Government understood the importance of ensuring access to justice in the country.

"The Government welcomes the suggestions put forward by the Law Council and will consider them in the budget process," he said.

Former Tasmanian Law Society president Leanne Topfer, who is a partner of a small practice in the northern town of Burnie, said there was a serious shortage of lawyers with mid-tier experience in her area. "We have a smattering of one to two-year out lawyers. Then there's a huge gap and there's a lot of lawyers who are verging on retirement," she said. "In five years time, I think there's going to be a huge problem," she said.

Ms Topfer, who moved to Burnie with her husband more than 20 years ago intending to stay for two years, said young lawyers stayed for one or two years and then tended to leave.

"It becomes very frustrating for us because we put a lot of energy and money and time into training them," she said.

She said the key was encouraging them to stay long enough to find a partner and build ties with the community.

In June last year, Mr McClelland announced $5.8 million to boost legal services in the bush. The money was provided through legal aid commissions in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania and community legal centres. Rosemarie Coxon, who runs Legal Aid Queensland's Regional Solicitor Program, said it was a battle to find enough young lawyers willing to move to the bush.

The program places graduates in private law firms and covers 75 per cent of their wage. In return, they spend three-quarters of their time on legal aid work.

It has placed 34 lawyers in 15 Queensland towns in four years, but Ms Coxon said incentives such as rental assistance and help with moving costs would go a long way to attracting more young lawyers into the program.

Elvina Ogil is one young lawyer who has bucked the trend of lawyers fleeing regional areas. The 28-year-old had barely heard of the central Queensland town of Emerald when she moved there last year with the help of the Regional Solicitor Program. Now she is planning to stay there permanently.

But she said the Government could help with rental subsidies, as the rent in mining districts was "exorbitant" compared to the city, while legal salaries were lower.

Lol this reminds me of the vaguely similar scheme they have for the new medicine graduates although I don't know the nitty-gritty of either of these schemes.

[morganjane]

I think its a good idea to be honest, they are identifying a need for lawyers within the regional areas of this country, the shift of necessity is moving from just nurses and teachers, which you have seen a lot of in previous years- national priority careers. Offering an incentive and encouragement for those being trained in law to go to those regional areas seems to be a good thing for the government to be doing.

Thats just my thoughts.

[wixxy2348]

I'd do it. Definitely. I'd at least give it a try for a few years.
One of my uncles was a lawyer in a small town for most of his working life, and he loved it.
Sort of reminds me of SeaChange, lol.

[Cookie182]

Be fun, dealing with local pub brawl assault cases or the occassional Wolf Creek style serial homicide lol

[Marmalade.]

Originally Posted by DeVenne

I think you will find there are stupid and annoying people everywhere, not just those who walk off the street..

Idiots and irrational people are less likely to be encountered when your clients are businesspeople rather than Joe Blow with a minor dispute.

[RogueAcademic]

Originally Posted by Marmalade.

Idiots and irrational people are less likely to be encountered when your clients are businesspeople rather than Joe Blow with a minor dispute.

Wow..

[circusmind]

Originally Posted by Marmalade.

Idiots and irrational people are less likely to be encountered when your clients are businesspeople rather than Joe Blow with a minor dispute.

God forbid you help a fellow human being. Fucking peasants.

[RogueAcademic]

I do support this country placement scheme as well, in fact I would absolutely love to move to a seaside country town for a couple of years. I've always wanted a beachfront house with surfable waves away from the city crowds.

My concern though, and this was a concern relayed to me by a ex-partner of a law firm (actually with decades of experience in a number of top law firms), is that there may be some trouble for a rural lawyer trying to reintegrate into the city law firms.

I'd be more than happy to hear any stories that negate this concern if anyone has any? Would this be in the same context as a suburban lawyer attempting to make a transition to a city law firm position?

[Marmalade.]

Originally Posted by circusmind

God forbid you help a fellow human being. Fucking peasants.

Oh yeah, because lawyers are all about helping people.

[circusmind]

Originally Posted by Marmalade.

Oh yeah, because lawyers are all about helping people.

Of course not. Life's greatest pleasure is to be found in crushing those socially inferior to you.

Hot tip for those playing along at home: businesspeople are just as likely to be stupid, pigheaded and unpleasant as anyone else.

[Marmalade.]

Originally Posted by circusmind

Of course not. Life's greatest pleasure is to be found in crushing those socially inferior to you.

Hot tip for those playing along at home: businesspeople are just as likely to be stupid, pigheaded and unpleasant as anyone else.

Avoiding is not the same as crushing. And I never called anyone inferior. I don't want to deal with small, boring issues. Jeez.