LAW 9000 – Legal Best Practice is a standard which uses the internationally recognised ISO 9001 as its foundation and contains best-practice criteria specific to a legal practice.

It replaces the Quality in Law program, which consisted of two tiers – the QL II Best Practice Program, and QL II – IV, based on the Australian Business Excellence Framework.

LAW9000 has now superseded the Best Practice program and is managed by SAI Global. The relationship between SAI Global and QL is set out in a formal collaboration agreement, the other parties being The Law Society of NSW South Wales and The College of Law Pty Ltd.

QL and SAI are now partners in business improvement and quality certification for the legal profession in Australasia. QL’s major focus is to ensure that LAW9000 is the best quality management system for legal practice and that it is effective and constantly improved.

It has continuing liaison with SAI, and facilitates the review and development of legal quality standards for the LAW9000 and Excellence in Law programs. It includes representation from professional bodies and liaises with organisations involved in the management, regulation and education services for the practice of law.

The Schedule attached to the agreement lists the input of each party with QL constituting the advisory board to Standards Australia to undertake in consultation ongoing review and updating of the scheme.

Click here to see QL’s Constitution.

Our Vision – Continuous enhancement of the delivery of legal services

Our Statement of Purpose –

QL is committed to ………

Continuous enhancement of the delivery of legal services by:

• Encouraging continuing refinement of the LAW9000 standard and its adoption by legal practices
• Partnering with appropriate providers of
• LAW9000 training
• Management education services and products
• Audit and certification services
• Engaging Members in continuing education about quality service initiatives
• Sponsoring data collection demonstrating the benefits of certification

QL’s target audience is small to medium legal practices; however QL endorses the benefits for all providers of legal services and their clients

The major strategic activities for the current year include:

• Membership growth, mentoring and engagement in QL’s activities.
• Continued development of Tier II with SAI.
• Running membership education and information sessions in consultation with QL Partners
• Collaborating with SAI in the review of the Standard in accordance with the principles embodied in ISO 9001:2000.
• Engagement with SAI and representation to them of member’s feedback concerning the SAI/QL processes.
• Engagement with representative bodies from the legal profession.

A good explanation of what quality is can be found in Module 1 of the Understanding and Implementing LAW9000 Course…

Quality is about:

• Knowing what you want to so and how you want to do it
• Learning form what you do
• Using what you have learned to develop your organisation and its services
• Seeking to achieve continuous improvement
• Satisfying your stakeholders – those different people and groups with and interest in your organisation

Quality systems are part of a strategic investment approach to business building with the aim of embedding consistency and good practice into business systems.

The quality and effectiveness of leadership is a prime determinant of the degree to which quality process and philosophy will be adopted by an organisation of seen and a requirement for compliance with an external framework.

Practices that have undertaken the quality process describe it in terms of long term investment with a payback measured in terms of heightened morale driven by empowerment of individuals in their work, competence in their carrying out of their responsibilities and confidence in review and improvement of processes.

Such practices generally report a high degree of engagement by their people with the organisation.

Practices which adopt a quality focus are better equipped to view client relationships within a long term strategic relationship focus rather than one determined by the immediate transaction to hand.

Practices with a culture of quality report less incidence of client “horror stories” where a cluster of omissions, non compliances and or unmet expectations produces and situation which requires a correspondingly complex analysis and solution.

The AGM was held on Thursday 9th December and followed by the final member event for the year.

Nominations for the QL Committee of Management were received and the following members were elected for the 12 month term of office commencing at the meeting.

Office Bearers and Firms

Member Firm Representatives

Additional Members

Law Society of NSW

Law Cover

Invitees

Highlights include;

Review of the LAW9000 Standard - This major project was completed and the new standard released mid year,

New Best Practice Management Course – The LAW9000 training course was reviewed and extensively re written and implemented in late 2010.

SAI Global – Stephen Burke (QL Administrator) is now working closely with SAI Global and Ms Inga Sadovskaia, Business Development Coordinator in following up firms that have enquired about LAW9000.

Marketing Subcommittee – The committee has met frequently, review the member survey, identified opportunities in the marketing strategy for QL and continues to provide new ideas and support with the assistance of Ms Sue-Ella Prodonovicvh from WHK Horwath.

ALPMA Annual Convention – The 2010 Convention was held in Sydney and both SAI Global and the College of Law sponsorship stands were adjacent to each other in the exhibitors’ venue so we were able to meet many delegates and provide them with information about LAW9000.

Membership Evenings – This years member events covered the topics of technology, new thinking about risk and how a “systems” approach to practicing and consistent processes will assist compliance with the new national regulatory framework. At this stage we expect to run thee events in 2011.

Finances - 2010 has been a difficult year financially with the general down turn in the economy resulting in a drop of in active and a small loss of $2,337for the year.

Support – The ongoing support of the College of Law is crucial to the success of QL as is the time and input from all members of the Management Committee – the President acknowledged this and thanked the College and committee members for their continued work for quality.

The ongoing liaison with SAI facilitates this process as well as the continuing development of legal quality standards for the Law 9000 and Excellence in Law programs.

The Management Committee does not now have a role in certification of a firm wishing to obtain LAW9000 certification and takes no direct role in this process. It is a non profit organisation with income derived from membership fees and royalties paid by SAI Global based on the number of firms certified as well as a royalty on material sold by SAI.

The QL Management Committee meets quarterly and reviews the implementation of the annual strategy for the program and is composed of members drawn from the following areas;

• Three representatives of the Member Firms;
• One representative of the Law Society of New South Wales;
• One representative of LawCover Pty Ltd;
• Up to five additional persons as the Management Committee may appoint additional Management Committee members.

each of whom is to be elected at the annual general meeting of the association under rule 23.2.3

The QL Management Committee have reinstituted the annual QL award - for the individual seen as having made the most outstanding contribution to the aims of QL in the previous year and have renamed it in honour of the late Philip King.

The following are some articles of interest:

Understand your markets
Know your clients
Continuously improve your practice
Be proactive and innovative
Be certified to LAW 9000
Enjoy your work
Use your practices's greatest assets - your people
Be competitive
Realise your true potential

"Survival is not compulsory"
- Deming