Pre and Post-Admission Training: Educating a Practice-Ready Profession for the 21st Century
Remarks delivered by Juliana Warner, Law Council President at the Australian Legal Convention, High Court of Australia, 22 November 2025.
"Good afternoon.
It’s a pleasure to be here today as part of this important event.
We need well-educated, capable lawyers who deliver quality legal services to our nation. This is fundamental to the rule of law and also fundamental to our economy. We are critical to business getting done.
I was at Freehills for 40 years and a partner for 30 of them. I have supervised and dealt with hundreds (if not thousands) of young lawyers, both solicitors and barristers, over the course of my career.
I have seen them thrive and go on to achieve huge success. And I have seen them fail. I am going to share some thoughts about what we should be doing to equip young lawyers.
The Law Council’s consultations with the profession confirm four simple concepts — young lawyers need to have:
- Foundational knowledge of key areas of substantive law.
- Fundamental skills in legal reasoning, research and advocacy.
- Deep understanding of ethical obligations and duties of lawyers as officers of the court.
- And the knowledge and ability to apply the human skills required to thrive in practice."
Last Updated on 28/11/2025