Council and committees

Queensland Law Society (QLS) is governed by an elected Council of 12 members, with an additional Council member appointed by the Attorney-General. Councillors are elected for a two-year term.

Who is Council?

Council is responsible for the governance of Queensland Law Society including the continual review of the strategic plan and the Society’s performance as reported through the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Council is also responsible for approving the annual budget, the operating plan and overseeing the financial management of the Society’s affairs. Operations are guided by its charter with meetings held about every 2 months.

The role of the president is to lead the Council in setting the corporate direction and goals and monitoring the performance of QLS. The president also works closely with the Chief Executive Officer to ensure the effective corporate governance of Queensland Law Society. Each president is elected for a term of one year, after which they become the immediate past president, with the deputy president succeeding to the office of president at the beginning of the second term.

The vice president is elected for a two-year period, assuming the duties of the deputy president in the second year of their elected term.

Roles of Council

• Role description of the QLS President 2024
• Role description of the QLS Deputy President 2024-25
• Role description of the QLS Vice President 2024-25
• Role description of the QLS Councillor 2024-25
• Role description of the QLS Immediate Past President 2024

Committees of Council

Queensland Law Society (QLS) has a number of committees which carry out a wide range of functions, including assisting Council with advice and developing policy.  The committees also provide a forum for the consideration of practical problems being experienced by members, and as a source of information on various issues for dissemination to members.  Some committees serve quite specific purposes and some relate to QLS’ statutory functions.

• Information about the work of the Executive Committee
• List of committee chairs and deputy chairs

Governance committees

• Council Charter
• Executive Committee Charter
• Finance and Risk Committee Charter
• Governance Committee Charter

Regulatory, advisory and policy committees

• Committee of Management Charter
• Continuing Professional Development Committee Charter 
• Ethics Advisory Committee Charter
• Future Leaders Committee Charter
• Membership Committee Charter
• Policy Committee Charter
• Practice Management Course Committee Charter
• Professional Conduct Committee Charter
• Specialist Accreditation Board and Advisory Committee Charter

Membership committees

The following membership committees and working groups aim to increase the membership and wellbeing of the Society:

• Equity and Diversity Committee
• Wellbeing Working Group
• First Nations Consulting Committee
• Government Lawyers Committee
• In-house Lawyers Committee 
• QLS Network Charter
• Diverse Abilities Network Position Statement