Summer Series CPD program

What does each day cover?

Each day relates to a different area of law and offers the opportunity to earn Continuing Professional Development points in all four competency areas:

CA1: Practice Management and Business Skills
CA2: Professional/Barristers’ Skills
CA3: Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and
CA4: Substantive Law (including practice and procedure, and evidence for Barristers).

The presenters and topics for each day of the Summer Series are outlined below. The detailed daily programs showing the start times and CPD points available for each session are available for download at the end of this page.

Family Law Day on Wednesday 5 February 2025

• 'Amendments to the Family Law Act', presented by The Honourable Justice Richard O’Brien and Principal Registrar Leonie Forrest (Family Court of Western Australia).

• 'Family violence legal services', presented by Chimpo Bulawayo (Legal Aid WA) and Dr Alison Evans (Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing).

• 'Cultural capability: a journey, not a destination', presented by Keiran Dent (Wungening Aboriginal Corporation).

• 'Gender recognition under the law: a new process and a new Family Court jurisdiction', presented by Curtis Ward (Clairs Keely).

• An ethics panel discussion with Lucy Thomas (Paterson & Dowding), Magistrate Samantha Craig (Family Court of Western Australia), Nicholas Rodda (Francis Burt Chambers), and Kate Davidson (Legal Aid WA).

• 'The Latest and Greatest', presented by The Honourable Justice Robin Cohen (Family Court of Western Australia).

Criminal Law Day on Thursday 6 February 2025

• 'Uniform Evidence Legislation', presented by Amanda Blackburn (Law Reform Commission of Western Australia), Dominic Fernandes (Legislative Services, Department of Justice) and Greg Chin (Legal Aid WA).

• 'Representing a Client Charged with Family Violence Offences', presented by Justin Geoghegan (Legal Aid WA), David Shackles (Legal Aid WA), Michael Da Silva (Communicare) and Caitlin Searle (Legal Aid WA).

• 'A Guide to Managing Risk as a Criminal Lawyer', presented by Fiona Calley (Legal Aid WA), Gerald Yin (DG Price & Co), Kate King (Kate King Legal) and Casey Johnston (Legal Aid WA).

• 'Cultural Considerations When Providing Services to First Nations Client', with Ben Golding (Legal Aid WA), Mel Cox, Tarah Devon (Legal Aid WA), Stephanie Monck (Women's Legal Service WA), and Shequita Bonney (Legal Aid WA).

• 'Mental Impairment, Fitness, and Capacity in the Children’s Court', presented by Claire Rossi (Legal Aid WA), Clare Brennan (ALSWA) and Anne-Marie O'Neill (Legal Aid WA).

• 'Navigating Ethical Challenges in Criminal Practice', presented by the Honourable Judge John Prior (District Court of WA), Karen Farley SC (Legal Aid WA), Carolyn Moss (Francis Burt Chambers) and Chelsea Fruhwirth (Legal Aid WA).  

Civil Law Day on Friday 7 February 2025

• 'Youth Justice: How Civil Lawyers can use human rights in their practice and work with clients who are children', presented by Lexi Lachal (ALSWA) and Chloe Wood (ALSWA).

• 'The New ART of Review: A reflection on the first few months of the Administrative Review Tribunal', presented by Clare Thompson SC (Deputy President, Administrative Review Tribunal).

• 'Overview of WA FOI Laws and Privacy: Recent Developments at the State and Federal level', presented by Catherine Fletcher (Information Commissioner) and Associate Professor Anna Bunn (Curtin University).

• 'Health Justice Partnership – A collaborative and integrated approach to legal service delivery', presented by Alison Pidgeon (Legal Aid WA), Varny Poinern (Legal Aid WA), Maria Farrar (East Metropolitan Health Service), and Rebecca Jones (Psychologist). 

• 'AI & The Future of Practice in a Brave New World', presented by Irene Kuo (Fortescue), Schellie-Jayne Price (Stirling & Rose) and Janie Plant (Women in Technology WA).

• 'Ethics in Practice', the Honourable Kenneth Martin KC.

How to register

Registration is through Train-N-Track and closes on Friday 31 January 2025 at 5.00 pm (WST).

Please note that your username is your work email address. Legal Aid WA staff can login using the Single Sign On option. If you have forgotten your password please click the Forgot My Password link and enter your email address. You will receive an email with a link to rest your password.

If you are having issues getting into the system please contact tnt.admin@legalaid.wa.gov.au

Information about the cost of the days and sessions is available under CPD memberships and course prices.

If you have any queries, please email tnt.admin@legalaid.wa.gov.au or contact Rhys McVicker on 08 9261 6384.

Useful documents

• Family Law Day program
• Criminal Law Day program
• Civil Law Day program