Law firm staff onboarding checklist
New staff onboarding at a law firm must meet legal profession obligations and firm risk controls. This checklist is for firm managers and HR teams onboarding lawyers and support staff.
This is a 12-step law firm staff onboarding checklist. It covers admission, confidentiality, systems access, trust account training, and supervision.
The checklist
Verify admission and practising certificate
Verify admission, current practising certificate, and any conditions.
Background and reference checks
Conduct reference checks and police check where appropriate.
Sign employment agreement
Execute employment agreement with confidentiality and restraint provisions.
Confidentiality declaration
Obtain a signed confidentiality and IT acceptable use declaration.
Provision systems access
Provision practice management, document management, email, and trust account access with role-based permissions.
Trust account training
Deliver trust account compliance training if applicable.
Conflicts check integration
Add new staff name and previous employers to conflicts system.
Cyber and privacy induction
Deliver cyber security and privacy training.
AML/CTF training
Deliver AML/CTF training and confirm CDD responsibilities.
Supervision plan
Assign supervisor and confirm supervision plan for junior lawyers.
CPD obligations
Brief on CPD requirements and record-keeping.
Probation review
Schedule probation review meetings at 30, 60, and 90 days.
When this checklist applies
Use for every new hire joining a law firm.
Common pitfalls
- Practising certificate not verified annually
- Role-based access overly permissive
- Conflicts system not updated with prior employers
- Supervision plan not documented
- Trust account training missed
Run this checklist on a real matter
Quillio can manage a law firm onboarding workflow and track completion. See /practice-areas/firm-management or start a free trial.
General guidance for law firm onboarding. Apply specific jurisdictional legal profession rules.
Use this checklist on your matter.
Quillio can run this checklist on a specific NSW conveyancing matter — confirm each item, calculate adjustments, and generate the supporting documents. The free trial requires no credit card.
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