What we do

The Criminal Law Committee is a diverse group of lawyers and students from around NSW who share an interest in criminal law. We aim to raise awareness and educate both the legal profession and the wider community about criminal law developments and issues. Our activities focus on:

Support & Networking 
We help our members connect through face-to-face monthly meetings, email news, and social events. We also hold seminars and programs that help to develop the careers of aspiring criminal lawyers, including an annual national award-winning mentoring program, which pairs students with criminal lawyers. Additionally, the Committee publishes a criminal law careers guide for students. Overall, we aim to provide a peer support network for young criminal lawyers, and provide a forum for them to discuss issues of concern.

Members can send questions to the list, which is especially useful if you work in a regional area, in a small office, or if you are the only criminal law practitioner at your firm. We are here to help each other. That said, before emailing the list please consider that it has over 1,400 subscribers. Alternatively it may be best to directly email the Chair.

Education 
We strive to help our members better understand criminal law and practice through a number of publications, including our ‘Practitioners Guide to Criminal Law’ and our Quarterly Newsletter, ‘Amicus’. We also run practical CLE seminars.

Policy work 
We proactively make submissions to various Commonwealth and State agencies regarding areas of law reform. For example, the Committee was recently invited to give evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse in relation to its Consultation Paper on Criminal Justice. The Committee focuses on promoting access to justice, particularly in relation to disadvantaged groups, such as indigenous Australians, mentally ill people, young people, and intellectually disabled people.

Our initiatives

The Criminal Law Committee is a collegiate body that offers a peer support network for young criminal lawyers and those interested in criminal law. The Committee’s activities, direction and focus are driven by our members.

Our activities focus on:

• Support – connecting practitioners through face-to-face monthly meetings and email news, and holding events that help to develop the careers of aspiring practitioners.

• Education – helping practitioners to understand criminal law and practice through publications and CLE seminars.

• Policy work – preparing policy submissions to the Commonwealth and State Governments, and law reform agencies.

Who we are

Chair: Lauren Mendes
Vice Chair: Uzma Sherieff
 

When we meet

Held on the last Wednesday evening of every month except second Wednesday in March and the last Thursday in April (no meetings in January or December) from 6 - 7.30pm, at The Law Society of NSW, 170 Phillip Street, Sydney.

28 February, 28 March, 26 April, 30 May, 27 June, 25 July, 29 August, 26 September, 31 October, 28 November