Maya Sen believes that everybody 'should have the right to access and navigate legal support and aid'
For family law specialist Maya Sen, the accessibility of legal aid is a crucial concern. This, along with mental health and embracing technology, are three important areas of focus for the profession, she says.
Her dedication to making law accessible is evident in her involvement in Barry Nilsson’s pro bono practice. Earlier this week, she shared about her passion for social justice; in the second part of this interview, Sen talks monitoring the potential of AI and balancing complex case loads.
What is going on at the firm? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?
There are lots of different initiatives at Barry Nilsson, but one that is particularly exciting is our dedicated pro bono practice. It is part of the firm’s Impact Project, which includes our pro bono and responsible business practices and drives initiatives across four key streams: Pro Bono, Reconciliation, Community, and Sustainability.
The pro bono practice helps to improve access to justice by providing free legal assistance to disadvantaged or marginalised groups by partnering with local community legal centres. The target is to provide free legal services equivalent to at least 35 hours per lawyer each year.
What tech-related initiatives adopted by the organisation, if any, are you most excited about?
There are many tech initiatives on the horizon and, like all firms, we are looking closely at what is happening in this area, for example with responsible use of AI.
In terms of technology already in full use, like many organisations we have integrated Microsoft Teams within the workplace. Not only is it a great tool for collaboration within the firm, but it has revolutionized our ability to meet and work seamlessly with clients in different states as well as internationally.
What should the profession focus more on?
I think there are three areas the profession should focus more on:
Greater accessibility and transparency is important for individuals and the wider community as a whole. Ensuring that services are affordable and understandable to all is crucial - everybody should have the right to access and navigate legal support and aid without added barriers.
There also needs to be a greater emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. It’s no secret that the demands of the job can be incredibly stressful. As a law community, we need to place greater importance on looking after our mental health to ensure we can keep showing up for our clients every day.
We also need to continue to embrace technology to help streamline processes and improve efficiency.
What are the challenges you expect in your practice, and in the business of law in general, going forward? What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
In my own practice, balancing complex case loads while maintaining high standards of client service is always a challenge. Prioritising tasks and managing client expectations are key to meeting this challenge.
For the business of law generally, one of the biggest challenges lies in integrating technologies in order to improve efficiencies and client services as a whole. New technologies are evolving at a rate of knots every day and present so many opportunities for the practice to streamline and improve how we go about our work.
