Dear Colleagues,

I write to nominate myself as a candidate for the position of Councillor on the Law Society of New South Wales Council, and I ask for the privilege of your vote.

My story begins far from these courtrooms and conference rooms. I grew up in a close-knit, middle-class family with three siblings, and hard work was never something we discussed. It was simply how we lived. That upbringing instilled in me resilience, humility, and a deep respect for those who show up every day to do right by others. When I came to Australia and built a life and a career here, I carried those lessons with me. Today, I am proud to call myself a migrant, an Australian, and a solicitor serving the community that welcomed me.

As Principal Solicitor at Peerzada & Associates in Western Sydney, I meet clients at what is often the hardest day of their lives, across family law, migration, criminal law and civil litigation. Many arrive frightened, confused, and unsure whether the legal system is built for people like them. My work is to show them that it is, or to fight until it becomes so.

My role as a panel solicitor with Legal Aid NSW is where this sense of purpose is strongest. Week after week, I sit across from victims of domestic violence, rebuilding their safety; families in crisis, trying to hold themselves together; and children whose futures are being decided in a courtroom they are too young to understand. This is not abstract policy work for me. It is the daily, human reality of representing people who have nowhere else to turn, and it is the work I am most proud of. Outside the office, I volunteer with community organisations to raise awareness of domestic violence within culturally and linguistically diverse communities, because I have seen how silence and stigma can be as dangerous as the violence itself.

Like so many of you, I know what it means to run a small practice: the long hours, the constant balancing of client care with business demands, and the quiet pressure of being both principal and support staff on many days. These are not challenges I have read about. They are the ones I live with, and they are what draw me to this election.
That is why I am standing for Council. This is not a career milestone for me. It is a continuation of the commitment that brought me into this profession, to stand up for people who need someone in their corner. If elected, I want to bring the everyday realities of sole and small suburban practice directly into the room where decisions are made, because I believe that perspective belongs there.

My Commitment to You

1. Support for Sole Practitioners and Small Firms: Targeted resources, including mental health initiatives, peer support networks, and administrative tools designed for smaller practices, not just large ones.

2. An Emergency Financial Assistance Fund: Immediate relief for members facing hardship due to illness, injury, bereavement, or events such as COVID-19, particularly when a sole practitioner's income stops overnight.

3. Fewer Complaints, Lower Insurance Costs: Expand education on ethics, file management, and client communication to reduce complaints to the Legal Services Commissioner (LSC) and, in turn, professional indemnity premiums. I will also advocate directly for lower professional indemnity insurance costs for our members.

4. Mandatory Mediation Before Formal Complaints: Early, fair reconciliation between lawyer and client before LSC proceedings begin, giving both parties a genuine opportunity to resolve misunderstandings.

5. Protection Against Vexatious Complaints: A lifetime ban for complainants proven to lodge repeated, unfounded complaints, and mechanisms to compensate lawyers for lost time, stress, and reputational harm.

6. Mentorship for Early-Career Lawyers: Structured programs that pair junior lawyers with experienced practitioners, ensuring ethical, sustainable practice is passed down, not left to chance.

7. Mental Health and Wellbeing: Real action on burnout and isolation, especially in high-pressure areas such as family law, criminal law, and community legal services.

8. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A profession where lawyers from every background, including those from regional, rural, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, have an equal voice and an equal opportunity to thrive.

Colleagues, I am one of you: a suburban solicitor who understands these challenges because I face them too. If elected, I will bring that lived experience to Council and would be honoured to represent you and help carry your voice into the decisions that shape our profession.

Finally, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this and for the trust you place in our profession every day. Together, I believe we can build a stronger, fairer, and more resilient Law Society that continues to stand behind the people who stand for justice.

Regards,

Irfan Peerzada
Principal Solicitor
M.Com., LLB, MBA (UTS), GDLP. Notary Public.
https://www.peerzada.com.au E: irfan@peerzada.com.au