Setting the standards for modern legal practice.

Accredited Specialist in Commercial Law

The Law Institute of Victoria's Specialist Accreditation scheme identifies lawyers who have demonstrated, through examination and assessment, a substantially higher standard of knowledge and practical skill in a defined area of law. Accredited Specialists must undertake continuing professional development in their specialist area to maintain the accreditation. Jim Parke, who leads the continuation of the Blakie + Britt practice through Parke Lawyers, is an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Law.

Accreditation does not guarantee a particular legal outcome in any matter. It reflects an assessment of professional knowledge and skill at the point of accreditation, maintained through ongoing professional development.

Management-system certifications

The practice operates under three management-system standards published by the International Organization for Standardization:

• ISO 9001 — Quality management systems. Documented processes for how work is scoped, undertaken, reviewed and improved. Its focus is on consistency in the way client work is planned, delivered and quality-checked.
• ISO 14001 — Environmental management systems. Documented processes for identifying, monitoring and reducing the environmental impact of the practice's operations.
• ISO 45001 — Occupational health and safety management systems. Documented processes for identifying and controlling risks to the health and safety of staff, contractors and visitors.

Certification of a management system is not certification of any particular legal opinion, matter or outcome. It reflects an assessment by an accredited certifier that the practice's systems meet the requirements of the relevant standard.

Professional obligations

Lawyers of the practice are admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria and hold current Victorian practising certificates issued by the Victorian Legal Services Board. The practice complies with the professional conduct rules that apply to Victorian solicitors, including those relating to costs disclosure, confidentiality, conflicts of interest and trust-account handling.

Continuous improvement

Documented systems, checklists and file-review processes are used to support consistent quality across matters, and to identify improvements over time. Client feedback is welcomed and is used, where appropriate, to refine the way work is scoped, communicated and delivered.