Ethics: back to basics

The Victorian Government Solicitor's Office invites you to join us on Tuesday 23 February 2021 at 1.00pm when we will host a panel discussion to explore ethical issues and ethical considerations which can and should arise within the practice of law. While our focus will be on the particular issues that can arise for government lawyers, the discussion will include issues that are equally applicable to lawyers in other contexts.

The panel - comprising of Sam Hay (a Queens Counsel at the Victorian Bar), Dr Jeff Giddings (Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law at Monash University) and Alison Kingston (Managing Principal Solicitor in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Branch at the VGSO) - will provide insights across a wide range of key ethical issues for lawyers. The discussion will consider:

Ethics in practice

• How to identify an ethical issue
• How to obtain advice about an ethical issue when you need it
• How to explain the importance of dealing appropriately with an ethical issue to a client
• How to correct an ethical mistake if made

Relevant frameworks for government lawyers

• The Civil Procedure Act
• Model Litigant Guidelines
• Common Guiding Principles
• Navigating tensions between principle and policy

Culture and ethics

• Fostering a culture of good ethical practices
• The challenges in fostering good ethical practices
• The power of asking questions
• Frameworks for best practice and the uncertain practitioner

The session will be introduced by Sara Dennis who is the Assistant Victorian Government Solicitor in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Branch at the VGSO.

Attendees may be eligible to claim 1 CPD Unit in Ethics and Professional Responsibility.