Timothy Roberts is the Young Lawyer Councillor on the Law Society of NSW Council, a lawyer for salaried doctors at ASMOF NSW, President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and Immediate Past President of NSW Young Lawyers.
Standards, the rule of law and the next generation of lawyers
Timothy sits on the Law Society's Human Rights, Professional Conduct and Ethics committees. He came to the law from teaching science in regional NSW. Appointed to Council this year, he now asks members to elect him so he can keep young, regional and early-career lawyers connected to their Law Society and defend the profession against unqualified advisers and bots taking on legal work that calls for the standards of a qualified professional.
Priorities
- Young and early-career lawyers - Increasing the engagement of new and early-career lawyer members with NSW Young Lawyers.
- Regional practitioners - Substantive, engaging forums for regional practitioners to develop their practice and guide the direction of the Law Society.
- Professional legal services under pressure - Taking action against unqualified "advisers" and "bots" that use new models of service delivery to encroach on legal work that calls for the standards of a qualified professional - protecting clients, the profession and the sustainability of legal practice.
- The rule of law - Advancing the Law Society's ongoing work in ensuring the maintenance of the rule of law.
- A mutual insurer for the profession - A high standard of approved professional indemnity insurance in this state, established by lawyers for lawyers, with a mutual insurer ethos.
I have been a science teacher in regional NSW, a policy officer, a solicitor in private practice and now a lawyer for salaried doctors. I know what it is to start out, to change course and to practise a long way from Sydney - and I want a Law Society that works for every solicitor in NSW.Timothy Roberts
Timothy's statement in full
I am a legal practitioner employed at ASMOF NSW, working to defend salaried doctors in NSW and to advance their interests and perspectives in government policy.
I am the President of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, one of Australia's leading human rights and civil liberties organisations. I am also a member of the Council of the Law Society of NSW, and the Immediate Past President of NSW Young Lawyers.
I joined ASMOF NSW from SBA Lawyers, a firm with expertise in commercial litigation, dispute resolution, human rights, refugee law and administrative law. Earlier, as an employer solicitor at NEW Law, I worked across industrial, employment, criminal and personal injury law.
Before I began my legal career, I worked as a Senior Education Officer and Executive Officer at the NSW Education Standards Authority. I hold a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Master of Education from the University of Newcastle, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Technology Sydney.
I began my professional career as a secondary science teacher in regional NSW. In 2016 I was a representative for public schools on the Quality Teaching Council. I have also worked as a Relief Officer in many roles at the NSW Teachers Federation and been an association representative on its Branch Council.
I am a member of the Leadership Team and Executive Council of NSW Young Lawyers, and of the Human Rights, Professional Conduct and Ethics committees of the Law Society of NSW. I currently sit on the management committee of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties.
My priorities
- Increasing the engagement of new and early-career lawyer members with NSW Young Lawyers.
- Facilitating substantive and engaging forums for regional practitioners to develop their practice and guide the direction of the Law Society of NSW.
- Advancing the Law Society of NSW's ongoing work in ensuring the maintenance of the rule of law.
- Ensuring the maintenance of a high standard of professionalism among NSW solicitors in the face of regulatory pressures, including those related to technologies such as AI.
- Ensuring a high standard of approved professional indemnity insurance in this state, established by lawyers for lawyers, supporting the legal profession with a mutual insurer ethos.