SA Law Society's 2026 priorities: AI, AML/CTF, access to justice, talent, and well-being
With David Colovic stepping in as president, the Law Society of South Australia has set five clear priorities for 2026: investing in the justice system, responsible use of AI, AML/CTF compliance, promoting SA firms and talent, and improving well-being. The message is simple: be persistent, support the profession, and deliver better outcomes for the community.
Invest in the justice system
"Australia is grappling with a legal aid crisis," Colovic said, noting that roughly 80% of legal aid matters are handled by private practitioners. The Society is pushing for stronger investment in legal aid and services that meet unmet legal need, especially for vulnerable people.
Courts also need attention. Insufficient, inaccessible, and outdated facilities slow matters, limit trial capacity, and create safety risks for court users. Upgrades aren't a luxury-they're essential to access to justice.
If you're fielding more legal aid inquiries, stay close to local resources like the Legal Services Commission of SA for updates and referrals: lsc.sa.gov.au.
AI: standards, skills, and safe use
The Society will roll out resources to help practitioners use AI responsibly and ethically. AI won't replace lawyers, but it will change how we work-faster drafting, better research triage, tighter workflows-provided confidentiality, accuracy, and client interests come first.
Set guardrails now: internal AI policy, clear red lines (no client data in public tools), human review for outputs, and vendor due diligence. For structured upskilling, see curated AI learning paths by role: Complete AI Training - Courses by Job.
AML/CTF: tranche two starts 1 July 2026
The Society's third priority is AML/CTF. From 1 July 2026, tranche two will extend to legal and real estate professionals, conveyancers, accountants, and trust service providers. A large portion of practices will face new program, due diligence, reporting, and training requirements.
Start early: conduct a gap analysis, appoint a responsible officer, document your risk assessment and program, set client due diligence procedures, train your team, and test record-keeping. For authoritative guidance, monitor AUSTRAC updates: austrac.gov.au.
Promoting SA firms and legal talent
The Society will advocate for procurement policies that prioritise SA legal practices, with avenues to compete or collaborate with interstate firms in specialist areas. Expect a stronger push to showcase the value and diversity of SA practitioners.
Retention matters. The Society plans to encourage graduates and young lawyers to build their careers in SA, with initiatives that make local practice attractive and sustainable.
Well-being: reduce burnout and conflict
Stress in practice is well known. The Society will deepen its understanding of the drivers of burnout, depression, and workplace conflict, and develop techniques to address them. "Healthier, happier lawyers make better lawyers," Colovic said.
Firms can act now: normalise early help-seeking, set realistic file loads, encourage boundaries, and reward civility and mentoring-not just billable hours.
What you can do now
- Map your legal aid capability and referral pathways; engage with courts and the Society on facility pain points.
- Publish an AI policy, designate an AI lead, and require human review for any AI-assisted output.
- Run an AML/CTF gap analysis; draft your risk assessment and program; schedule staff training before 1 July 2026.
- Prepare for SA procurement opportunities by documenting capability, pricing models, and specialist panels.
- Set well-being KPIs (workload, leave usage, EAP uptake) and review them quarterly.
The direction is clear. Invest in systems, skill up for AI, be ready for AML/CTF, back SA talent, and protect your people. That's how the profession serves the community-and sustains itself-this year and beyond.
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