Law Society

Council Election 2026

The Law Society Council

Serving as a Law Society Councillor requires a significant commitment of time and effort. Councillors, other than Office Bearers, should expect to spend at least the equivalent of one half-day a week to Law Society business, in addition to reading and preparation times.

The Council currently meets about ten times each year. Additional special Council meetings are convened as needed. Monthly meetings usually begin at 4.00 pm, and may run for three hours or longer. Councillors are also expected to serve on committees supporting the Law Society’s representational and regulatory work, and to attend a significant number of Law Society functions from time to time.
 

2026 Council Vacancies

The 2026 Notice of Forthcoming Election has been sent to Solicitor Members (see Notice).

The following Councillors are due to retire as Councillors at the Annual General Meeting of The Law Society of New South Wales, which will be held at 4.30pm on Thursday 22 October 2026: 
 

Councillor LAUREN ABSALOM 
Councillor VAUGHAN ROLES 
Councillor MOIRA SAVILLE
Young Lawyer Councillor TIMOTHY ROBERTS


Each of the retiring Councillors, other than the Young Lawyer Councillor, holds an unreserved position. All retiring Councillors are eligible to stand for re-election. 
  
The Young Lawyer vacancy is appointed for a 1-year term in accordance with clause 12.1.2 of the Law Society’s Constitution. 

Why you should nominate

Solicitor Members are eligible to stand for election. Please consider nominating for the Council. 

By nominating for the 2026 Council election, you can help ensure the profession is led by people who understand and respond to the changing demands of legal practice. It is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to your profession and community.

Law Society Councillors gain valuable insight into the legal profession and help shape its direction. They are well placed to address the issues, pressures and opportunities members encounter in practice. Electing trusted leaders helps strengthen the profession’s future.

NOMINATE NOW - You can make a difference
To request a Nomination Kit, contact the Law Society’s Company Secretary at secretary@lawsociety.com.au or phone (02)9926 0213.

Nomination requirements

  1. Ensure you are a Solicitor Member of the Law Society.
  2. Note the list of vacancies to be filled at the 2026 Law Society Council election.
  3. Complete and sign the 2026 Council election Nomination Form and obtain the signatures of at least seven Solicitor Members supporting your nomination. If all seven cannot sign the same original form, you may copy your signed form and send it separately to each nominating Solicitor Member for signature. The signed copies may then be returned to the Law Society separately by email or post. Your nomination will be valid only if the forms received include your signature as the candidate and the signatures of at least seven supporting Solicitor Members.
  4. Send your completed Nomination Form to the Law Society’s Company Secretary, by email to secretary@lawsociety.com.au, or by mail or hand delivery to Level 3, 170 Phillip Street, Sydney 2000. Your completed nomination must be received at the Law Society prior to 4.00pm on Monday 21 September 2026.
  5. Prior to 4.00pm on Monday 21 September 2026, please also provide to the Law Society a 100-word biographical note and a recent portrait photograph for inclusion in the official election documents. The information and photo will be published on the Law Society website in relation to the Council election, the third party online voting platform hosted by Big Pulse and in the voting instructions and Candidate Information election materials.

Candidate canvassing

The Law Society intends to provide Solicitor Members with a central webpage for candidate canvassing materials during the election period. Nominees should complete the Candidate Information Form and email it to the Law Society’s Company Secretary at secretary@lawsociety.com.au so that their information, including their photograph, can be included on the central webpage. 

Online voting - external host provider

BigPulse, the Law Society’s web-based online election provider, will again host the 2026 Council election. BigPulse has conducted the Law Society’s online elections for the past ten years.
During the last week in September, Solicitor Members with a unique email address recorded with the Law Society will receive an “Invitation to Vote” email.
Solicitor Members are encouraged to vote online so their vote is received before the ballot closes at 2.00 pm on Monday 19 October 2026.

Paper ballots

Solicitor Members who have opted in to receiving hard copies may choose to vote by completing the printed ballot paper which will be sent by post to those Solicitor Members.
Solicitor Members are encouraged to vote online.

Please remember - you can only vote once.

Important dates

Thursday 27 August 2026 – Notification of Election

Notice of Forthcoming Election is sent to Solicitor Members with email addresses by email (and via the Law Society’s Monday Briefs on Monday 31 August 2026). A printed copy of the Notice will be sent to Solicitor Members who have not provided an email address.

Thursday 27 August 2026 to 4.00 pm Monday 21 September 2026 – Nominations

Requirements:

  1. Nominees must submit a Nomination Form, signed by not less than seven other Solicitor Members of the Law Society and by the nominee.
  2. Nominations are to be received by the Company Secretary prior to 4.00pm Monday 21 September 2026 at secretary@lawsociety.com.au, or by post or hand delivery to Level 3,170 Phillip Street, Sydney 2000.
  3. The following additional materials must be received by the Law Society’s Company Secretary by 4.00pm Monday 21 September 2026 in order to be included in the voting/online materials:
    • A brief biographical note (limit 100 words).
    • b. A recent high resolution portrait photograph (not more than 12 months old).

Monday 21 September 2026 - Monday 19 October 2026 – Voting

For the 2026 election, Solicitor Members with unique email addresses will again have an opportunity to vote electronically.

Online: The 2026 Council election will again be hosted by BigPulse, the Law Society’s nominated external service provider. Solicitor Members with a unique email address will receive an “Invitation to Vote” email with instructions for accessing the electronic voting paper. If you do not receive this email, please check your Junk Email folder, then contact your IT Department to confirm it has not been blocked by your organisation’s firewall or spam filter.

Printed Ballot:  Solicitor Members who have elected to receive hard copies will receive voting instructions, a printed ballot paper, and inner and outer return envelopes. You may vote for up to, but no more than, the number of candidates required to fill the available vacancies. If voting by printed ballot, please complete and return it as soon as possible to ensure it is received by the Law Society before the ballot closes at 2.00 pm on Monday 19 October 2026.

Monday 19 October 2026 – Ballot closes at 2.00pm

Ballots cannot be accepted after this time.

Thursday 22 October 2026 – Annual General Meeting – 4.30pm

Successful candidates will be announced at the Annual General Meeting and take office from 22 October 2026.

Still have questions?

Frequently

Asked Questions

Solicitor Members are generally elected for a three-year term, commencing from the announcement of election results at the Annual General Meeting. The number of vacancies annually is dependent on the number of retiring Councillors whose three-year term has expired, together with any casual vacancies that may arise. Should a casual vacancy occur on the Council, the vacancy is filled effective until the next annual Council election, when the position is filled for the remainder of the designated term on Council.

The Council currently meets around ten times a year. Additional special Council meetings are called when required. The usual commencement time for monthly meetings is 4.00pm and the Council may sit for three hours or longer.

Councillors are expected to serve on committees involving Law Society representational and regulatory activities and attend a considerable number of functions arranged by the Law Society from time to time.

Solicitor Members are eligible to stand for election and to vote.

Nomination kits are available on request by emailing the Law Society’s Company Secretary at secretary@lawsociety.com.au or phoning (02) 9926 0213.

Nominees must submit a Nomination Form, signed by not less than seven other Solicitor Members of the Law Society and including the Nominee’s consent to the nomination.

If you are unable to arrange for seven Solicitor Members to sign the same original nomination form, your signed form can be copied/scanned and separately forwarded to individual nominating Solicitor Members for signature. These signed forms can be returned to the Law Society as separate documents via email or post but must be received before the nomination period closes for your nomination to be declared valid. Nominations must be received by the Company Secretary by 4.00pm Monday 21 September 2026 by email secretary@lawsociety.com.au, or by post or hand delivery to Level 3,170 Phillip Street, Sydney 2000.

Please include with your completed nomination form:

  • A biographical note (limit 100 words)
  • A recent high-resolution portrait photograph.

During the last week in September, Solicitor Members will receive an invitation via email to vote electronically (if an email address has been provided). Solicitor Members who have elected to receive hard copies will be forwarded printed election materials by post.

We encourage Solicitor Members to consider voting online to ensure your vote is received before the ballot closes at 2.00pm on Monday 19 October 2026.

Online Vote – a personalised email “Invitation to Vote” from the Law Society / BigPulse will be forwarded to you to enable you to vote online.

Paper Vote – Solicitor Members who have elected to receive hard copies will be forwarded a printed ballot paper, voting instructions and an inner and outer return envelope. 

Please remember that you can only vote once.
 

Voting opens during the last week in September 2026.

Voting closes at 2.00pm on Monday 19 October 2026.

Election results are announced at the Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 22 October 2026 at 4.30pm.

The Law Society’s Company Secretary
Email: secretary@lawsociety.com.au
Ph: (02) 9926 0213