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Specialist Accreditation
There are currently over 12,000 Solicitors in Queensland, of which just over 500 are accredited specialists in Queensland. So clearly, gaining accreditation will mean that you will form part of this small and elite group.
The Specialist Accreditation Scheme was established a number of reasons, but the two primary reasons are to provide:
- Solicitors with an opportunity to formally recognise their high level of competency and knowledge in their chosen area of legal practice; and
- guidance to the public and the profession as to which legal practitioners are truly leaders in their area of expertise.
The QLS Scheme is part of a National framework of Schemes run by other law societies like the Law Institute of Victoria and the Law Society of New South Wales. The QLS Scheme is therefore part of a national benchmark for recognising specialist expertise.
The QLS Scheme currently offers accreditation in 9 areas of specialty.
QLS had initially organised to run the following accreditation programs for 2020: Business Law, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Law, Personal Injuries Law, Workplace Relations Law and Immigration Law.
Due to the impacts of COVID-19, QLS has made the following changes to our 2020 programs:
- The 2020 Business Law and Commercial Litigation programs have been deferred,
- Queensland practitioners are permitted to apply for enrolment in the Law Society of New South Wales 2020 Immigration Law program,
- Queensland practitioners are permitted to apply for enrolment in the Law Institute of Victoria 2020 Workplace Relations program, and
- QLS will offer only Criminal Law and Personal Injuries programs in 2020.
Applications for the 2020 Criminal Law and Personal Injuries programs have now closed.
For 2021, QLS will run the Family Law, Succession Law and Property Law programs, but may also run the Business Law and Commercial Litigation programs. Consistent with previous years, QLS will also organise with the Law Institute of Victoria to permit Queensland practitioners to apply to their 2021 Taxation Law program.
