Early Career Lawyers (ECL) – How to Join the Committee

Early Career Lawyer (ECL) regional AGMs are coming up in April 2023. The ECL committee years runs from 1 May to 30 April each year. See below to get involved with one of the regional committees.

ECL AGM details 2023

South – Wednesday 5 April, 1pm at the Society, 28 Murray Street, Hobart (contact Scott Ashby at s.c.ashby@outlook.com)
North-West –Tuesday 18 April, 6pm at Penguin Brewing, 85 Main Road, Penguin (contact Amber Scott at amber.scott@raepartners.com.au)
North – Thursday 20 April, 1pm at Sports Garden, 23 George Street, Launceston (contact Jessica Stewart at jstewart@tals.net.au)

All members or associate members of the Law Society of Tasmania who have ten years or less post-admission experience in the legal profession within a State or Territory of Australia are deemed to be members of their regional early career lawyers ECL (known as Early Career Lawyers [South] [North] [North West], respectively. See the Early Career Lawyer Constitution for more information. The ECL Committees are committees of the Law Society of Tasmania that promote the interests of early career members of the Tasmanian legal profession across Tasmania.

Current membership of each regional ECL Committee is listed here.
General information for early career lawyers including what is involved in being a member of an ECL Committee can be found here.
Get involved in the executive arm an ECL in your region: Each regional ECL is presided over by a Committee made up of members. The Committee is the executive arm of the regional ECL and is primarily responsible for conducting the business of the ECL in its region. Each regional committee is elected at the AGM in April of each year, for one ECL year, by present members of the ECL and holds office until the election of a new committee at the next AGM. Each regional Committee consists, at a minimum, of a President (or Co- Presidents), Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and CPD Coordinator. This executive arm of the ECL in each region comprises of no more than 10 members, or as agreed by each regional Committee. Nominations of candidates for election as officers of the regional ECL Committee are to be delivered to the ECL Secretary (of the respective regional ECL) before its AGM; or may be made from the floor of the AGM. If the number of nominations received is equal to the number of vacancies to be filled, the persons nominated are duly elected. If the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, a ballot is to be held in such a manner as the regional Committee directs.

ECLs are made up of early career lawyers from each region – southern, northern and north-western Tasmania. For example, the Early Career Lawyer Committee S invites membership from southern-based early career lawyers, the Early Career Lawyer Committee NW welcomes members located from Latrobe though to Smithton and holds events in Devonport, Ulverstone and Burnie, and the Early Career Lawyer Committee N encourages membership from early career lawyers in Launceston and its surrounds. Early career lawyers are classified as persons with less than 10 years practical experience. Lawyers from local firms and government departments volunteer for ECLs, as well as representatives from the University of Tasmania’s Law School, the Tasmanian Legal Practice Course, members of Tasmania Legal Aid, Tasmania Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

ECLs generally meets once a month to discuss issues relevant to early career practitioners and soon to be admitted practitioners / graduates. ECLs liaise with the Law Society of Tasmania to develop initiatives that address these matters. Of particular interest to ECLs is the mental wellbeing of graduates and early career practitioners – a matter that has emerged as one of critical concern in recent years. ECLs are committed to acknowledging and addressing this matter, and does so by promoting awareness and arranging activities that encourage a positive work/life balance. In addition, ECLs engage in organising professional and social events for the wider profession. Such activities may include CPD activities, the Tasmanian Golden Gavel competition, bi-annual long lunches, end of year functions, bimonthly dinners, bi-monthly Friday night drinks and the annual quiz nights.