19 February 2022 02:02 am Views - 428
This year the 22nd National Law Conference was held on the theme ‘Resilience, Realignment and Agility in the Legal Profession’
“The legal profession was once again faced with circumstances most compelling and challenging and this time in ways yet unknown not only to us in Sri Lanka, but on a global scale, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the year 2020,” said Attorney-at-Law Janaprith Fernando opening the recently held 22nd National Law Conference 9NLC.
This year the Conference was held on the theme ‘Resilience, Realignment and Agility in the Legal Profession’. Opening the NLC its Chairman Fernando welcomed the distinguished guests Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, Justice Minister, M. U. M. Ali Sabry PC, the guest of honour Bangladesh High Commissioner, Tareq M Rafiqul Islam HC, Head of Mission USAID, Reed J Aeschliman, Chief Party USAID/EEJ Activity Dr Irinel Cocos among others.
In his welcome address Fernando said, “Resilience and agility are not altogether new to the legal profession in Sri Lanka, having coped with internal civil strife at all levels for more than 30 years.
The Profession matured, adapted and showed its capacity to continue to carry out its professional duties and work with positive outcomes despite the many challenging and threatening circumstances endured. BUT the legal profession was once again faced with circumstances most compelling and challenging and this time in ways yet unknown not only to us in Sri Lanka but, on a global scale, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the year 2020.
“It is with great pride that we can say that the legal profession was able to rise to the challenges, with resilience and with realignment and agility when necessary to face the challenges to include adapting to the technological changes required”
“However, It is with great pride that we can say that the legal profession was able to rise to the challenges, with resilience and with realignment and agility when necessary to face the challenges to include adapting to the technological changes required, whilst at the same time valueing the opportunities afforded by such technological changes moving on in the new century, with virtual court hearings now being part and parcel of the legal system, it being an option in a given circumstance.
“Additionally, the ‘working pattern’ of a person on a day to day basis took on a new definition with ‘working from home’ being a norm after almost a century of having a traditional office ‘work day’ in both the private and state sector. This alone posing the most severe challenge to the workings of the legal profession.
Additionally, the ‘working pattern’ of a person on a day to day basis took on a new definition with ‘working from home’ being a norm
“With new technology and more automation, it is expected that traditional areas of legal practice and standardised legal work will be impacted to require the profession to realign itself to meet with such new methods and ways. It is predicted that in the near future-maybe in 10 to 15 years’ time- many lawyers around the globe would be performing non-traditional, “hybrid” lawyer jobs such as ‘legal knowledge engineers’, ‘legal technologists’, ‘legal process analysts’, ‘legal project managers’ and so on. These roles or titles are foreseen to be relevant to and part of active legal practice such as in law firms, who would be required to have alternative business structures as well.
“Thus, it cannot be a better time to emphasise the importance of our theme of this Conference ‘Resilience, Realignment and Agility in the Legal Profession’ in this rapidly changing environment which characteristics are all, but a necessary part of a vibrant and every evolving profession such as ours.
“Our team has worked very hard during these difficult times to deliver the best to the participants and the sessions will be conducted by very eminent personalities both from the legal fraternity as well as other professions. I am sure all participants will not only have fruitful discussions and sessions, but a very enjoyable and memorable conference.
Francis Bacon Former Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain once said I quote “Reading maketh a full man, Conference a ready man and writing an Exact Man” unquote”.