Lawyers' news

• Trial Counsel Development Program Q&A event – Monday 5 March
  Date: 22 Feb 2012
  Counsel are invited to attend a Q&A event to learn more about the Trial Counsel Development Program (formally Talented Junior Counsel Program), the selection process and how it will operate in 2012.
• SGP Navigator – 22 February 2012
  Date: 22 Feb 2012
  SGP Navigator contains important compliance information about guidelines, fees and panel membership and as such, all section 29A panel members must read each update. Read on for information about Summary Crime guidelines.
• Children’s law specialisation study support available
  Date: 20 Feb 2012
  We are encouraging all eligible legal aid practitioners to upgrade their skills by undertaking Children’s Law Accredited Specialisation.
• SGP Navigator – 8 February 2012
  Date: 08 Feb 2012
  SGP Navigator is for all section 29A panel practitioners who use the simplified grants process (SGP). As it contains important compliance information about guidelines, fees and panel membership, all section 29A panel members must read each edition.
• Grants of legal assistance – business as usual over the holiday season
  Date: 22 Dec 2011
  VLA's Assignments unit, which is responsible for administering grands of legal assisance, will be open during the holiday season (except for public holidays).
• Another case highlights the urgent need for fines system reform
  Date: 16 Dec 2011
  The second case in as many weeks involving unpaid fines, where there is no right of appeal, has been decided in the Supreme Court, highlighting the urgent need for infringements law to change.
• VLA welcomes positive results in Client Satisfaction Survey 2011
  Date: 08 Feb 2012
  Satisfaction with VLA services is high according to a recent client survey.
• SGP Navigator – 30 November 2011
  Date: 30 Nov 2011
  Information for section 29A panel practitioners who use the simplified grants process. This includes the fees for subpoena argument in the County Court and the judgement fee in the Children's Court (Family Division).
• New Commonwealth family law guidelines go live 1 November
  Date: 25 Oct 2011
  Reminder that the new Commonwealth family law guidelines commence on Tuesday 1 November.
• New claim forms for private practitioner duty lawyers
  Date: 18 Oct 2011
  Private practitioner should now use the new claim forms for duty lawyer services provided in the Magistrates' Court and Childrens Court (Family Violence).
• ATLAS+ upgrade
  Date: 13 Oct 2011
  VLA has installed a new release of ATLAS+ to make the system more efficient for both practitioners and VLA grants officers.
• Legal aid fee increases go live
  Date: 03 Oct 2011
  On Saturday 1 October, Victoria Legal Aid’s 10 per cent increase to all professional fees and disbursements came into effect. The fee scales and invoices have been updated in ATLAS+ and the VLA Handbook for lawyers.
• Victoria Legal Aid welcomes new Chairperson and Board member
  Date: 27 Sep 2011
  Managing Director Bevan Warner has welcomed the appointment of a new Chairperson and Board member to Victoria Legal Aid.
• September SGP Navigator newsletter now available
  Date: 26 Sep 2011
  The September edition is now available and includes news about an increase in legal aid fees to practitioners, fees for change of fee applications, and more.
• New Commonwealth family law guidelines
  Date: 21 Sep 2011
  The new family law guidelines apply from 1 November 2011 and prioritise clients who most need legal aid – children, and adults who face serious issues that affect their children.
• New civil justice specialist teams up and running
  Date: 16 Sep 2011
  Four new specialist teams are now up and running as part of VLA's Civil Justice Program.
• Summary Procedure Bulletin, No. 4 – September 2011
  Date: 15 Sep 2011
  Find out about how changes to summary criminal procedures are rolling-out across Victoria by reading the fourth Summary Procedure Bulletin.
• Annual report tabled
  Date: 15 Sep 2011
  Victoria Legal Aid's annual report 2010–11 was tabled in the Parliament on Thursday 15 September and shows that we continued to play an important role in helping vulnerable and disadvantaged people this year.
• Fee increase to all legal aid lawyers
  Date: 12 Sep 2011
  Victoria Legal Aid announces an increase to all legal aid fees paid to practitioners.
• Accessing police court documents to become easier
  Date: 13 Jul 2011
  Lawyers will now have easier access to police court documents following Victoria Legal Aid's successful work with Victoria Police convincing them of the merits of easy at-court disclosure.
• SGP Navigator looks at ATLAS+ help and much more
  Date: 07 Jul 2011
  The July edition out now includes news about ATLAS+, changes to whole of job fees in criminal law, and much more.
• ATLAS+ milestone
  Date: 01 Jul 2011
  ATLAS+, Victoria Legal Aid’s online grants management system, has hit an invoicing milestone and has seen a reduction in workpool backlogs.
• Victoria Legal Aid increases fees for summary crime and bail
  Date: 01 Jul 2011
  Victoria Legal Aid will increase fees for summary crime and bail applications by 2.5 per cent from 1 July 2011.
• Changes to whole of job fees
  Date: 10 Jun 2011
  Whole of job fees in bail applications and County Court appeals against sentence will be removed from 1 July 2011.
• Funding changes for independent children's lawyers
  Date: 02 Jun 2011
  Funding for independent children's lawyers to instruct at trial has been reinstated by Victoria Legal Aid.
• ATLAS+ updates available online
  Date: 25 May 2011
  We have created an updates page to keep private practitioners informed of changes and improvements to ATLAS+.
• Why the rush? Amendments to social security laws
  Date: 20 Jul 2011
  Managing Director Bevan Warner looks at recent amendments to Australia’s social security laws. The retrospective legislation means that somebody who did nothing wrong at the time may now find they committed a crime over a decade ago.
• August Briefcase newsletter now available
  Date: 18 Jul 2011
  The latest edition of Briefcase looks at our efforts to reduce court delays and our Talented Junior Counsel Program.
• New program targets talented juniors in a bid to cut Victoria’s court delays
  Date: 04 Jul 2011
  Fourteen junior barristers will work with some of the state’s most experienced and accomplished senior trial advocates in the Talented Junior Counsel Program – the first of its kind in Australia.
• Summary Procedure Bulletin, No. 3 – May 2011
  Date: 28 Apr 2011
  Find out about how changes to summary criminal procedures are rolling-out across the state by reading the third Summary Procedure Bulletin.
• New talent to grow justice and help reduce court delays
  Date: 20 Apr 2011
  The Talented Junior Counsel Program was launched today as one of a number of initiatives aimed at improving the conduct of criminal trials in Victoria.
• Additional training for ATLAS+ available
  Date: 08 Apr 2011
  VLA has announced an additional series of ATLAS+ training sessions for private practitioners.
• April edition of SGP Navigator is available now
  Date: 04 Apr 2011
  The April edition for Section 29A panel practitioners includes ATLAS FAQs and tips on how to help reduce delays, a quick guide to retrospective assistance, and much more.
• Update on post-committal negotiations
  Date: 30 Mar 2011
  The post-committal negotiation checklist must now be filed with the court prior to the first directions hearing/post-committal case conference.
• Appeals advice and practical support
  Date: 24 Mar 2011
  Theo Kassimatis of the Victorian Bar will be available from Monday 28 March to provide practical support for counsel and their instructing solicitors during and after legally-aided trial court proceedings.
• New specialist criminal law teams up and running
  Date: 17 Mar 2011
  Four new specialist teams are now up and running, forming Criminal Law Melbourne.
• Be an advocate. Stand for something.
  Date: 16 Mar 2011
  Recruitment to our New Lawyers Progam for first and second-year lawyers opens on Monday 21 March.
• New appeal guidelines and fees
  Date: 17 Feb 2011
  The VLA Board approved new appeal guidelines and fees on Wednesday 16 February 2011 to support new Court of Appeal procedures.
• Summary Procedure Bulletin, No. 2 – January 2011
  Date: 04 Jan 2011
  Find out about how changes to summary criminal procedures are rolling out across the state by reading the second Summary Procedure Bulletin.
• Simplified Grants Process newsletter
  Date:
  Simplified Grants Process (SGP) Navigator helps our s29A panel practitioners keep up to date with any changes to VLA's policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Summary Procedure Bulletin
  Date:
  A bulletin for lawyers about how changes to summary criminal procedures are rolling-out across the state.

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