Our people - Employees

In June 2000, there were 650 staff employed in the equivalent of 586 full-time positions. Of these, 241 positions were located in our regional offices (an increase of 6% on 1998-1999 figures) and 345 in head office (a decrease of 7.5% on 1998-1999 figures). This year the number of lawyers employed in the Commission increased by 6% and the number of administrative staff decreased by 8%.

Training and development highlights
In 1999-2000, the Commission commenced a review of its structure and functions in order to enhance service delivery, relationships with key stakeholders and the status of regional practices. Training and development activities ensured that service delivery and operational requirements were maintained during the review.
In other highlights we:
• Sponsored five staff members to attend the Public Sector Management Course, a joint Commonwealth, State and Territory initiative aimed at providing public sector managers with the opportunity to develop management skills relevant to current public sector issues.
• Provided 21 staff with access to the Further Education Financial Assistance Program (FEFAP) to undertake courses in law, paralegal, social and computer studies.
• Maintained an Unrestricted Practising Certificate policy, encouraging 106 of our lawyers to obtain a lifting of restrictions on their practising certificates which are essential requirements for recruitment and promotion to senior positions.
• Maintained our Specialist Accreditation Program - the Commission now has 52 lawyers with Specialist Accreditation: 30 in criminal law, 19 in family law and three in civil law.
• Provided a comprehensive Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Program - 25 conferences and seminars were attended by Commission and private lawyers.
• Provided study assistance to 50 staff to enable them to pursue development opportunities.

Future outlook
Training and Development strategies and activities will focus on:
• multiskilling legal and administrative staff;
• enhancing change management skills for staff and managers. Individual and team achievements
• This year's NSW Law Society's Excellence Award in Government Legal Service was shared by our Committals Unit and the Drug Court team at Parramatta Local Court.
• Civil lawyer, Lyndsay Brooker, won the 1999 Justice Fellowship granted by the Law Foundation of NSW. Her project-A Litigation Guarantee Scheme-aims to provide better access to the legal system for disadvantaged people who have suffered injury or loss.
• Family lawyer, Dinh Tran, from Fairfield, was awarded a Certificate of Recognition as part of NSW Stop Domestic Violence Day. She was nominated by local community and court support groups for her outstanding support to women, particularly Vietnamese, who are victims of domestic violence.
• Lawyer, Jane Mottley, from our Manly office and District Court Appeals lawyer, Paul Mulroney, were appointed as Magistrates. Paul has dedicated 20 years of outstanding service to Legal Aid clients.
• Staff celebrated 20 years of Legal Aid with a birthday party hosted by the previous Attorney General, the Hon Jeff Shaw QC. The Hon Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE, Former Chief Justice of the High Court, gave a special address. As part of the festivities, 15 employees were awarded a certificate for their 20-year contribution to Legal Aid. Staff were also joined by their families in a relaxed birthday picnic at Homebush Bay.

Community activities
Staff participated in a range of activities providing legal information to the public. These included:
• Seminars held in Sydney and Newcastle during Law Week to explain power of attorney to 140 people.
• Civil lawyer, Jane Lye, addressed 30 union organisers on the prevention of discrimination in the workplace.
• Lawyers, Dave McMillan, John Moratelli and Liz Biok, acted as United Nations accredited observers during the historic East Timorese vote in September 1999.
• Liz Biok took six months' leave to assist in resolving land ownership disputes in East Timor.
• Many of our staff participated in a range of law reform initiatives and were active members of a diverse range of inter-agency committees. See pages 67 and 72-73 for details.

Equal Employment Opportunity achievements
To achieve Equal Employment Opportunities for targeted individuals and groups, the Commission:
• Established a representative EEO Committee, chaired by an Executive. Priorities are to implement flexible work practices and increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment in the Commission.
• Provided an employer-sponsored Vacation Care Program for long day care for children during school holidays.
• Provided Deaf Awareness Workshops for hearing impaired staff and their work colleagues.
• Initiated the Springboard Program, aimed at women in lower graded positions, to facilitate the acquisition of new ideas and skills useful for career and personal development.
• Provided ongoing support to the four women in the Spokeswomen Program.
• Engaged the Anti-Discrimination Board to provide EEO/anti-harassment training.

Employee relations
The Commission values the involvement and contribution of staff on issues which directly or indirectly affect their employment or work conditions and practices.
To facilitate this involvement the Commission:
• Established an advisory committee made up of union and management nominees who consulted with staff across the organisation about the Commission's future direction.
• Established several consultative committees to enhance staff involvement in issues relating to Equal Employment Opportunity, Information Technology, and Occupational Health and Safety.
• Conducted a monthly meeting of the Peak Consultative Committee to progress critical industrial/ employee relations matters. Future outlook The focus of the Human Resources Branch will be to:
• Assist in implementing reforms associated with the Managing Director's Paper, Managing Service Excellence, by providing relevant advice, policies and training.
• Establish better employment opportunities in the Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by providing appropriate recruitment and employment practices.
• Attract and retain skilled and committed staff by providing flexible working practices, safe working environments and professional and personal development opportunities.

Overseas travel
Civil lawyer, Lyndsay Brooker, undertook overseas travel as part of winning the 1999 Justice Fellowship granted by the Law Foundation of NSW. The Law Foundation paid for her travelling fellowship.

Olympics/Paralympics
Six employees volunteered for the Olympics at no cost to the Commission. An Olympics Coordinator was appointed to commence planning our future staffing schedules and to keep staff updated on leave entitlements and arrangements.

On this page:

Employees

"our staff are our greatest asset - from highly qualified lawyers and advocates through to efficient and customer-friendly support staff - they are crucial to Legal Aid's success"

Training and development

Community activities

Equal Employment Opportunity

Employee relations

Overseas travel

Olympics/Paralympics

Other people pages:

Senior staff

Lawyer Dinh Tran with her nominator, Thi Nguyen, receiving a Stop Domestic Violence Day award

Paul Mulroney, after 20 years of dedicated service to Legal Aid, poses here at the Central Court in his new role as Magistrate