Sonja Stewart will vacate the role around the end of the month
NSW Law Society CEO Sonja Stewart has resigned from the organisation.
Her resignation was tendered yesterday, and she will step down from the role around the end of the month. In the interim, the Law Society Council has named COO Kenneth Tickle as acting CEO as a recruitment process is launched for Stewart’s replacement.
Stewart first became NSW Law Society CEO in August 2020. During her tenure, she collaborated with courts and tribunals to facilitate the continued delivery of justice by the 40,000 solicitors in NSW during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also launched a survey of Law Society members, the findings of which were presented in the report A fair post-COVID justice system. The report has become “a firm basis” for the organisation’s push for better court infrastructure.
Stewart also worked together with law firms to address the issue of gender gaps and pay and career expectations; last month, the Equitable remuneration in the legal profession resource was published. The NSW Law Society also highlighted her critical role in the adoption of modern governance reforms.
“The council appointed Ms Stewart at a time when the legal profession faced significant challenges. Under her leadership, the Law Society has introduced a new membership strategy; developed resources and programs relating to legal practice support and professional development and raised awareness of the work of the NSW legal profession through the recently launched Lawfully Explained campaign and pod cast series” the NSW Law Society said in a press release.
