Events

The Ballarat & District Law Association is delighted to invite you to dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of financial year at Piper's By The Lake on Friday 18 July 2025. The doors and bar will open at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $75 per person and will include three courses. If you have any specific dietary requirements, whether that be vegetarian, pescetarian or any allergies, please let Tamar Haigazian know by way of email to tamar@heinzlaw.com.au and we can arrange to cater for you. Purchase tickets by 5:00pm 11 July 2025 here! There will be a choice of beers, wines and cider supplied by way of a bar tab. Semi Formal Attire – we understand many will be coming straight from work so no need to rush home to change! Partners are welcome to attend. This event is proudly supported by Chapman's List Barristers.

We are very pleased to announce that our annual CPD Event will take place on the afternoon of Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 1:00pm, just in time for the CPD doomsday clock reset, with a brilliant group of presenters. Afternoon tea and refreshments will be provided. BOOK TICKETS HERE. The afternoon will cover all of the non-substantive mandatory areas; Practice Management; Professional Skills; and Ethics. Even if you have already satisfied your CPD requirements, you can get a head start and carry these units over until the next CPD year! The details for each of the speakers are below. Sessions CPD 1: FAIR WORK ACT & RIGHT TO DISCONNECT Speaker: Mitchell Latham and Alan Ford, Chapman’s List Barristers This presentation examines Australia's newly established Right to Disconnect provisions under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024. As technology increasingly blurs the boundaries between work and personal life, this timely session explores the legal foundations, implementation requirements, and practical considerations for both employers and employees navigating these significant workplace reforms. Solicitors will gain valuable insights into compliance obligations, potential challenges, and emerging case law in this evolving area of employment law. This session will explore: The Right to Disconnect in Australian Employment Law" Overview of the right to disconnect and its importance Key provisions of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act2024 Steps employers must take to comply with right-to-disconnect provisions Overview of employee entitlements under the right to disconnect Cases that inform the right to disconnect Potential challenges in implementing the right to disconnect Summary of key points, including expected developments. CPD 2: ADVOCACY FOR SOLICITORS AND WHEN TO BRIEF Speaker: Nicholas Andreou and Mitchell Latham, Chapman’s List Barristers This session explores the critical decision-making process of when and how to engage counsel, offering solicitors valuable guidance on effective briefing practices and advocacy strategies. Drawing on extensive experience, Nicholas and Mitchell will provide actionable insights into maximising the value of counsel relationships while maintaining cost efficiency for clients, with particular focus on pre-trial negotiations, mediation preparation, and direct advocacy techniques. This session will explore: When should you not brief and when should you brief Preparing a brief to counsel: how to nail it How to use counsel in an economically efficient way How to prepare a mediation brief and how to effectively use counsel in mediations How to prepare good solicitors’ letters to resolve matters early / negotiation with your counterpart. CPD 3: GENERAL ETHICS POINT – ASSESSING CAPACITY & SOLICITOR WITNESSES Speaker: Mitchell Latham and John O’Halloran Chapman’s List Barristers This essential ethics session addresses two critical practice areas with significant professional responsibility implications: assessing client capacity and managing situations where solicitors may become witnesses. Mitchell and John will examine legal frameworks, procedural requirements, and ethical considerations to help practitioners navigate these complex scenarios while maintaining professional standards and minimising liability risks. This session will explore: What is capacity and how is it defined Engaging medical experts to ensure capacity Professional liability considerations for failing to ensure capacity Procedural requirements including Order 15 of the Supreme Court Rules and dealing with persons under disability Addressing conflicts between advocate and witness roles of solicitors Review of relevant cases Identifying when it’s ok for a solicitor to be a witness. CPD 4: PLEADINGS Speaker: Nicholas Andreou and John O’Halloran, Chapman’s List Barristers This technical session focuses on the essential skill of drafting precise and strategically sound pleadings. Nicholas and John will identify common pitfalls, clarify procedural requirements, and provide guidance on handling challenging pleading scenarios including fraud allegations and admission withdrawals, equipping solicitors with practical knowledge to enhance their drafting capabilities. This session will explore: Common pleading errors Material facts and particulars The pleading process Allegations of fraud Withdrawing admissions Striking out

The Ballarat and District Law Association invites our local Young Lawyers to join us for some drinks and nibbles in the sun to kick off the new year! Register now and join us at 6:00pm on 7 February 2025 at the Rooftop Bar at the Sporting Globe for some drinks and nibbles. For any dietary requirements/queries please contact tamar@heinzlaw.com.au          

The Ballarat & District Law Association is delighted to invite you to our end of year Christmas celebration! Be sure to register your free ticket and join us for a drink to celebrate the year at the North Star Hotel on 12 December 2024 at 6:00pm. 

We're hoping to see you all for dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of financial year at Oscars on Friday, 26 July 2024.  Start Time The doors and bar will open at 6:00 pm. Dinner Dinner will be served by way of individual plates on an alternate drop. if you have any specific dietary requirements, whether that be vegetarian, pesceterian or any allergies, please let Tom O'Dwyer know by way of email to todwyer@nevetts.com.au and we can arrange to cater for you. Drinks There will be a choice of beers, wines and cider supplied by way of a bar tab. Dress Code Semi Formal Attire – we understand many will be coming straight from work so no need to rush home to change! Multiple Tickets If you are purchasing multiple tickets for those at your firm, please send Tom O'Dwyer an email to confirm which people are coming and whether they have any dietary requirements.    If you have any questions, please let us know. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you there.

We're hoping to see you all for dinner and drinks at Housey Housey on the 28th!  Start Time The doors and bar will open at 6:00 pm on 28 July 2023. Canapes consisting of a) mini beef burgers with tasty cheese, baby spinach and tomato and b) pumpkin and merediths goats cheese arancini balls will be served from this time up until dinner.  Dinner Dinner will be served at 7:00 pm and will consist of: Lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary, slow roasted over carrot puree finished with sticky honey glaze; Whole butterflied roast chicken, with butter, herbs and fresh tomato salsa; Roasted crispy chat potators with rosemary and sea salt; and  Roasted seasonal vegetables with local olive oil and pickled herbs Dinner will be served "family style" on large share plates so you can take your choice of the above options, however, if you have any specific dietary requirements, whether that be vegetarian, pesceterian or any allergies, please let Tom O'Dwyer know by way of email to todwyer@nevetts.com.au and we can arrange to cater for you. Drinks There will be a choice of beers, wines and cider supplied by way of a bar tab. If the tab ends, which we doubt will occur, then drinks will be at bar prices. Dress Code Semi Formal Attire – we understand many will be coming straight from work so no need to rush home to change! Multiple Tickets If you are purchasing multiple tickets for those at your firm, please send Tom O'Dwyer an email to confirm which people are coming and whether they have any dietary requirements.    If you have any questions, please let us know. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you on Friday.