Specialist Accreditation

Peter Murphy has held Specialist Accreditation in Criminal Law since 1999.

The practice of law in the 21st century is complex. It is not possible for one lawyer to be an expert in all areas of the law. To assist you to select the right lawyer, the Law Society of NSW established the Accredited Specialist Scheme.

For the Law Society to accredit a lawyer as a specialist, that lawyer will have the proven expertise needed in the area of specialization. They must have at least five years in the profession, and demonstrate a substantial involvement in the area of specialization. Then, having met the Society's eligibility standards, they must pass a rigorous accreditation process.

Once accredited, the lawyer must maintain a minimum percentage of their practice in their area of specialization, and undertake yearly continuing legal education of at least ten hours in addition to the normal education obligations imposed upon solicitors generally. The Law Society does this to ensure that a specialist is continuously appraised of developments and changes to their area of specialization so that the standard of specialists is preserved

Liability limited by the Solicitors Scheme, approved under the NSW Professional Standards Act (NSW) 1994.