Chief Justice has history on his side (The Australian 4th Feb 2010)

IF his record is any guide, those who fail to take Jim Spigelman's predictions seriously are heading for trouble.

The NSW Chief Justice has an uncanny knack of making sure he is always on the right side of history.

He was the first to blow the whistle on the feeding frenzy that used to characterise personal injury litigation. Tort reform followed.

Spigelman also got it right seven years ago when he exposed the moral hazard of billable hours. Smart law firms of all sizes are now including fixed fees and other alternative billing schemes in their pitch to clients.

Spigelman's endorsement this week of the outsourcing of legal work to low-cost jurisdictions is also clearly on the money.

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It's hard to ignore a sense that the bell could soon be tolling for law librarians too.

Qld Floods

The past two months with natural disaster occuring at our footstep has reminded us of what is important in not only our business but more importantly our personal life. The flood chaos which hit the northern area of Qld seemed for Brisbane firms miles away with devastation and destruction throughout Rockhampton, Bundaberg and inland towns including Emerald. What we didn't appreciate at the time we were offering assistance to those in the northern area, is the onset of issues that we would personally face. Toowoomba with its inland tsnumai, Ipswich with the main centre under water, and Brisbane CBD with areas totally flooded and some unaccessible. Over the past week, the ALLA(Q) Committee has been assisting where possible any firm or member who has been affected by the floods. If you know of anyone who requires help, please ask them to contact the committee and we will endeavour to provide anything required, especially a person to talk to about the experience. As of 18 January, the following firms/organisations were known to have been affected in Brisbane with office closures. Most of the resources appear to be unaffected as the libraries were placed in strategic positions in the buildings. Mallesons Blake Dawson Hopgood Ganim Minter Ellison Norton Rose Clayton Utz QUT Corrs McCullough Robertson Allens Arthur Robinson Anti-Discrimination Commission We are planning on hosting a talkfest for Qld Members to come together and speak about their experiences both in the work place and personally. This will be planned for February. The next edition of the Qld Newsletter will also include stories relating to the flood and we encourage any member to submit their story and photos. Take care and stay safe. Lisa Sylvester ALLA(Q) President 2010-2011