Media Release
1 July 2009
New Strategy to Drive International Engagement of Legal Services and Law Education
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade, Anthony Byrne, has welcomed the release of a new report which provides a strategic blueprint for lifting the global competitiveness of our legal services and law education providers.
The export strategy report Australian Legal Services – Strategic Global Engagement was prepared by the International Legal Services Advisory Council (ILSAC) and launched earlier this week by the Attorney General Robert McClelland, ILSAC Chairman Sir Laurence Street, and Mr Byrne.
The report identifies the growing markets in India and China as priority countries for increased engagement over the next three to five years, and outlines a coordinated approach to achieving greater global integration of Australia’s legal and related services.
"Research undertaken by ILSAC indicates that between 2004-05 and 2006-07 total income from legal service exports and monies earned by Australian law firms overseas grew by 24 per cent, reaching a total of $675 million in 2006-07", said Mr Byrne.
"While the United States, United Kingdom and Europe remain significant markets, it is Asia that is providing the biggest opportunities for our legal firms and educational institutions to grow their international business.
"From 2004-05 to 2006-07 the value of legal services trade with Asia grew 56 per cent and the region now accounts for more than a third of our total international earnings generated by these sectors.
"The Australian Government continues to pursue improved access to international markets for our legal services exporters both through the Doha Round of trade negotiations as well as through trade agreements, such as the AANZFTA (ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreement) which was signed on Australia’s behalf by Trade Minister, Simon Crean earlier this year.
"The AANZFTA will allow foreign lawyers practicing in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand to extend their working period at a company and also commits Indonesia and Vietnam to allow foreign lawyers to work within their law firms.
"The difficult task of securing legal business overseas will always fall to the efforts of individual firms.
"The Australian Government is however supporting them in their efforts through Austrade which provides access to specialist services teams and a strong global network.
"This new strategy will see Austrade and ILSAC working together with a range of government and industry bodies to support our law firms and educators take up the opportunities and confront the challenges necessary to successfully compete on the world stage," Mr Byrne said.
ILSAC’s Australian Legal Services – Strategic Global Engagement report is available at www.ilsac.gov.au or by contacting the ILSAC Secretariat on 02 6218 7005.