Training and events
Upcoming events
Face to face training has resumed for the Foundational Australian Government Lawyer Training (GLT) program. The next program is scheduled from Tuesday 26 April to Thursday 28 April 2022 in Canberra. Due to the high level of interest, we are unable to take any further expressions of interest for this program. For those currently on the waiting list, details about registration will be sent in late February 2022.
Please note we expect to run the program again later this year. Details and registration for all future offerings will appear on the AGLS website and be advertised through the government lawyer contact list. If you change roles or move to another government agency, please ensure you update your contact details on the government lawyer contact list.
For virtual training options and useful materials, visit the Resources page.
Training courses
The Office of Legal Services Coordination (OLSC) also offers training on the Legal Services Directions. It provides an overview of the directions and how they operate in practice. The topics covered include:
- significant issues reporting and settling significant issues
- engaging counsel
- sharing advice
- tied work
- the Model Litigant Obligation
- an update on the Government Legal Services Panel.
If you think you or your team would benefit from a refresher on the directions, email olsc@ag.gov.au to discuss how we may be able to deliver this training for you.
AGLS Conference
The AGLS Conference held on 14 October 2021 was an outstanding success, with 920 registered government lawyer attendees representing over 50 Commonwealth agencies. While the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Conference from being held in person, as originally planned, the delivery of the event via a dynamic online platform provided a great opportunity to bring everyone together to gain insights from distinguished speakers in both legal and non-legal fields.
The program of speakers and panellists was diverse, engaging, and high calibre and represented a valuable mix of input on technical legal skills and people skills which appropriately reflected the 'DNA of a government lawyer' theme, including:
- The Hon James Leslie Bain Allsop, AO, Chief Justice, Federal Court of Australia, the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, Jane Needham SC and Abby Reis, Director, PunkPD.
- A Panel session featuring Katherine Jones PSM, Secretary, Attorney-General's Department; Michael Kingston, Australian Government Solicitor, AGS; Alice Linacre, Chief Counsel, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment; and Kathryn Haigh, Chief Counsel, Services Australia.
- Other government lawyer speakers included Nikki Bensch, General Counsel, Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and Stephen Bouwhuis, General Counsel, Department of Health.
The event was expertly hosted by the MC, Ellen Fanning, an award-winning current affairs journalist and host of ABC TV program, The Drum.
Feedback from attendees indicates all aspects of the conference – the content, high quality speakers, and accessible virtual platform – were well received. Attendees greatly valued the opportunity to connect with each other virtually through participating in Q&A sessions on presentations and panel sessions and during a 'speed networking' session. These opportunities to connect were especially valuable given the conference took place when many government lawyers across the country were in lockdown and unable to collaborate in person. Attendees were eligible for up to 6 continuing professional development points for attending the conference.
Planning is underway for the 2022 AGLS Conference. If you'd like to get involved in the AGLS as a member of a committee, please contact the AGLS Team.