As a government legal advisor, understanding who your client is, navigating competing obligations across agencies and managing issues of confidentiality, privilege and conflict requires sound judgement is essential. Be equipped with the tools to confidently identify and respond to common ethical dilemmas, explore real-world scenarios, examine where you can inadvertently fall into ethical traps and gain practical strategies for protecting privilege, maintaining confidentiality and managing actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Leave with greater confidence in your ethical decision-making and a clearer framework for discharging your duties as a government lawyer with integrity and professionalism.
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Ethics and Professional Responsibility
12.00pm to 1.00pm Who Is the Client? Real-World Ethical Challenges for Government Lawyers
- Determining who the client is in a government context
- Maintaining confidentiality and protecting legal professional privilege
- Identifying and managing real or apparent conflicts of interest
Presented by Brenda Tronson, Barrister, Level 22 Chambers & Senior Lecturer, UNSW Law & Justice
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Ethics and Professional Responsibility
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Chair:
Simon Fuller, Barrister & Mediator, Foley’s List
Presenters
Simon Fuller, Barrister & Mediator, Foley’s ListSimon practises in a broad range of matters in the areas of public and administrative law, commercial law, and family law. Having a diverse litigation practice provides him with a strong understanding of the law, court-room advocacy, issues of evidence, and strategy. It also allows him a unique understanding of the intersections of different areas of the law. He appears both led and unled in state and federal courts and tribunals at all levels in both original and appellate matters.
Brenda Tronson, Barrister, Level 22 Chambers & Senior Lecturer, UNSW Law & Justice
Brenda Tronson is an education focused Senior Lecturer at UNSW Law and Justice and a barrister at Level 22 Chambers. As an academic, she primarily teaches ethics, and is currently leading an education research project in relation to class participation. As a barrister, Brenda acts in matters concerning ethics, professional conduct and administrative law, advising and representing a range of clients in a variety of courts and tribunals. Before starting at the Bar in 2008, Brenda worked for Freehills in Sydney and as an associate to Justice Crennan in the High Court. She completed her undergraduate degrees at UNSW, where she won the university medal for Chemistry. She also holds a BCL (Dist) and MPhil in Law from Oxford University.
This seminar is part of a series
Ethics Lunchtime Series for Government Lawyers
As government lawyers you face a distinct set of ethical and professional responsibilities that require careful judgement, practical decision-making and a clear understanding of your obligations to the public interest. This three-part series explores some of the most significant ethical issues facing government practitioners today, from identifying who the client is and managing confidentiality, privilege and conflicts of interest, to understanding and applying model litigant obligations and navigating the opportunities and risks presented by artificial intelligence. Through practical guidance, real-world examples and expert insights, you will develop the skills to recognise and respond to ethical challenges, minimise risk, and make confident, defensible decisions in complex situations. Leave with a stronger understanding of your professional responsibilities and a practical framework for maintaining the highest ethical standards in government legal practice.
Description
Attend and earn 3 CPD units in Ethics and Professional Responsibility
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
If you register for the full series as a live online product after the date of an individual session, you will be sent the recording for the sessions that have passed. Alternatively, you can register for individual sessions by following the links below.
View series listing
