President of the Law Society Jacque Lethbridge has resigned after a review found she behaved in a manner which some employees experienced as aggressive and irrational.
Lethbridge served just over six months in the job.
Stuff first revealed the investigation in July after an employee raised concerns. At the time, the society said no complaints of bullying or harassment were made against Lethbridge.
The ‘culture review’ was carried out by Mike Heron KC, following a breakdown in the relationship between Lethbridge and former chief executive Joanna Simon, who served less than 18 months in the job.
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Heron found that while Lethbridge was “genuinely well motivated and did not intend the consequences that occurred” her behaviour was inappropriate and “unreasonable” for a person holding the top job.
Law Society board vice president David Campbell said Lethbridge’s resignation was accepted with immediate effect.
The position is usually elected, but the society’s council is allowed to appoint a president to serve for the remainder of the current term of office. The current term will expire in April 2023.
Katie Rusbatch was appointed interim CEO in September after Simon’s departure.
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Law Society president Jacque Lethbridge has resigned after a review found she behaved in a manner which some employees experienced as aggressive.
The Law Society is the national regulator of the legal profession and its 15,000 lawyers, and is governed by a president, an executive board and a council.
Heron also made recommendations about the delegations of the chief executive and that a job description for the president be endorsed by the Board and Council.
“The Board accepts the report and will be working with the executive leadership team to act on the recommendations made by Mr Heron KC, as an additional part of the wider transformation work plan that is already underway,” Campbell said.
Lethbridge took over as president in early April. As one of four candidates for the job, Lethbridge said: “From my own experience in practice, collegiality is the beating heart of what weaves us together as a profession, and it is this that I see as centrally important to the role of President – as connector, as leader and voice for our modern and diverse profession.”
She said the profession needed strong, supportive, collaborative and experienced leadership as they implemented recommendations from the first review.
The investigation came a year after the organisation – which regulates lawyers – launched new rules to tackle a culture of bullying and harassment in the profession.
The legal world was rocked in 2018 by allegations of sexual misconduct in law firms – most notably at law firm Russell McVeagh. The Law Society’s handling of the issues was also called into question.
It launched a review of its structure and function, which is still ongoing.
A survey revealed one-third of women lawyers had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace – yet the Law Society had only ever held one offender to account.
As part of the process, the society introduced new rules, which came into force a year ago. At the time, then-President Tiana Epati said: “Bullying, discrimination, racial or sexual harassment and other unacceptable conduct has no place in any profession.”
