AGLS committees

About the committees

In line with the AGLS Board Terms of Reference, 6 AGLS committees have been established:

  • the Conference Committee
  • the Engagement and Communication Committee
  • the Legal Risk Committee
  • the Professional Development Committee
  • the Integrity, Ethics and Culture Committee
  • the Legal Operations Committee

Each committee develops a work plan aligned to the AGLS Strategic Plan and is responsible for delivering specific AGLS initiatives.

Each committee chooses a chair or chairs from its members and reports regularly to their nominated board sponsor or sponsors. Board sponsors are responsible for reporting back to the AGLS Board on the work of their committee and seeking guidance on key issues where necessary.

The board will establish additional committees if required.

Conference Committee

The Conference Committee organises and runs the annual AGLS conference, the flagship AGLS event. The committee is responsible for advanced planning (venue, MC and conference manager selection, catering and organising the post-conference networking event and liaising with the AGLS Board). In consultation with the AGLS Board, the committee is responsible for choosing a conference theme, the program, topics and speakers. The committee also coordinates advertising and participant feedback.

Engagement and Communication Committee

The Engagement and Communication Committee aims to connect government lawyers, increase collaboration and promote sharing of information and resources, and recruit new members. The committee coordinates a quarterly newsletter and social media content.

This committee is also responsible for engaging with early career lawyers, national engagement, and internal and external communication.

Professional Development Committee

The Professional Development Committee promotes the professionalism of government lawyers, assists with recruiting the best lawyers to government legal practice, enhances the legal capability within government, and facilitates training and development opportunities for government lawyers.

The committee runs the Legal Circles Group Mentoring Program and the Webinar Series and has a role in delivering the Foundational Australian Government Lawyer Training program and the Reciprocal Secondment Program.

Legal Risk Committee

The Legal Risk Committee is a forum for senior government lawyers to discuss managing Commonwealth legal risk in a coordinated way. The committee meets 4 times a year and is a consultative and information-sharing body, rather than a decision-making body. The committee’s members are a representative group of senior government lawyers.

To find out more about the committee’s purpose and membership, read the Legal Risk Committee Terms of Reference. 

Integrity, Ethics and Culture Committee

Established by the AGLS Board in 2024, the purpose of the Integrity, Ethics and Culture Committee is to promote understanding of the role and responsibilities of Australian Government lawyers in the context of integrity and ethics.

Legal Operations Committee

Established by the AGLS Board in 2024, the Legal Operations Committee’s objective is to promote consistency and continuous improvement in legal operations and to support the wellbeing of government lawyers.

Legal Practice Managers' Forum

The Legal Practice Managers' Forum offers a quarterly forum for Commonwealth in-house legal practice managers and others to network and share practice management challenges and solutions, including governmental legal practice issues.

The forum is an informal AGLS working group and provide useful information, feedback and support for AGLS initiatives. For example, the Foundational Australian Government Lawyer Training program includes a panel discussion on practice management.

The forum does not have a formal chair. Members take turns hosting meetings to provide a discussion group that seeks to both resolve and identify issues that are faced by Commonwealth legal practices. Practice managers and other government lawyers interested in the forum can contact the AGLS Team for more information.

AGLS initiatives underway

Some of the work underway that AGLS committees are responsible for includes:

  • AGLS Newsletter – The AGLS Engagement and Communication committee creates and publishes the AGLS Newsletter. The committee chooses a theme for each edition and collects articles from AGLS members.
  • Legal Circles Group Mentoring program – The AGLS Professional Development Committee oversees this program. It aims to support the professional development of AGLS members through small group mentoring.
  • Foundational Australian Government Lawyer Training Program – cost-effective training on foundational competencies for new government lawyers developed and delivered by senior lawyers from within government.
  • Reciprocal Secondment Program – involving short-term secondments between high performing government in-house lawyers and other government in-house lawyers or private practice lawyers. Among other benefits, the program assists in-house lawyers to strengthen their current legal professional skills as well as build insights and gain new perspectives from other legal practices. The program is currently on hold. The AGLS Professional Development Committee will consider the future delivery of the program in the context of broader work being undertaken by the APSC in relation to the APS.
  • Afternoons with the AGLS, a new series of professional development sessions for government lawyers.
  • An induction package for heads of legal intended to assist heads of legal to navigate various aspects of the role, particularly those new to working in the Australian Government. 

To get involved in the AGLS as a member or chair of a committee, please contact the AGLS Team.