These are “prevalent” issues in Australia’s legal workplaces, the provider said in a statement, and are contributing factors in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

“A recent International Bar Association international study found one in two women and one in three men in the profession have experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace,” it said.

LawCPD’s new course, the provider went on, is designed to help legal professionals tackle these issues head-on through a series of immersive scenario-based activities that offer a unique approach to the topic.

“The new course, developed in collaboration with employment law experts Joanne Alilovic and Cara Leavesley, challenges lawyers to actively question what is — and is not — acceptable conduct,” it said.

“The course also encourages lawyers to reflect deeply on the impact of bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and what they could do when faced with these situations.”

“The recent changes to the Australian Solicitors’ Professional Conduct Rules have made it clear that lawyers have a duty not to engage in this conduct that extends beyond the workplace into professional events and social contexts,” it noted.

Speaking about the new course, LawCPD co-founder Sarah Mateljan said that “scenario-based learning is a powerful tool for promoting understanding and changing behaviour”.

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“By putting lawyers in real-life situations, our course helps them to gain a deeper appreciation of what bullying, harassment, and discrimination look like in different contexts and equips them with practical skills to address these issues in their own workplace,” she said.

“It’s time to take a different approach to these issues and find new ways to provide lawyers with the resources they need to create safer and more inclusive workplaces.”

The course, “Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination”, is now available on the LawCPD website and is claimable as a CPD activity.