“My goal is to harness the collective wisdom and ability of that broad church, to channel our diverse talents and viewpoints to work to achieve our goals,” he told Lawyers Weekly.

“Leaders turn and face difficulty, they don’t run from it – and organisations with integrity operate transparently.”

Such an approach will be paramount, he cedes, referencing the “insidious problems of bullying and sexual harassment that can operate in the dark corners” of the legal profession.

“We all saw what unfolded in New Zealand last year, and it would be foolish to think that Australia and Queensland are somehow immune to these problems,” he said.

“I actually think the New Zealand Law Society responded brilliantly in the circumstances, and we can learn a lot from their experience. Naturally though, what we want is to stamp out any misogyny in our profession, and prevent problems happening rather than responding to them.”

There can be no arguing that the legal profession faces challenges in the coming months, noted Mr Potts, and these challenges “are as numerous as they are multifaceted”.

He acknowledged, also, that some of these challenges have been brought on by lawyers themselves.

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“We will be pressed by the media (and rightly so) about the alleged misdeeds of some of our colleagues; we will be harried by AI and so-called ‘robot lawyers’ specifically designed to take our jobs,” he mused.

“We will be tasked by a political climate that’s swinging towards heavy regulation and a curtailing of human rights in an understandable but panicked response to challenges such as terrorism, organised crime and cyber theft.”

Lawyers cannot shirk these challenges, hide under some coats and hope it all works out somehow, nor can the profession try to deal with them covertly, he posited.

“Leaders turn and face difficulty, and organisations with integrity operate transparently [and] how we deal with our challenges is almost as important as the answers we find.”

“We cannot shirk these challenges, try to do a Homer Simpson and hide under some coats and hope it all works out somehow.”

As a second-term president, Mr Potts is also mindful of the need to maintain public confidence in the justice system – not just in Queensland, but across the country.

“I head the preeminent professional representation body for lawyers in this state, with over 11,000 members, and it is important that the Society, through me, speaks with a strong, independent voice that emphasises the rule of law.”

“I have a history of standing up for the independence of the judiciary, lobbying for further court resources and reinforcing society’s respect for the rule of law, and that won’t change. I won’t be silent when our judiciary are subject to unfair attack, but of course I will support sensible, evidence-based reform at every turn … a robust and efficient justice system benefits everyone,” he pronounced.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to these challenges, and so combating them in order to continue to deliver good law and good lawyers will require QLS to make effective use of its broader membership, he surmised.

“We meet a diversity of challenges with a diversity of solutions, by making use of our multifaceted membership. As president, I intend to build on what we have achieved so far to ensure that our membership has the skills to meet these challenges.”

One initiative he is particularly excited about, he added, is a Leadership Series which “will be complimentary to our Modern Advocate Lecture Series” he said.

“The speakers will be leaders, not necessarily always lawyers, and they will deal with those intangible but essential skills and qualities that are vital to success in any profession,” he said.

“In fact, the [aforementioned] problems are really down to failures of leadership and culture. I am confident this series will give our members the skills to prevent harassment and bullying and create workplaces that allow their teams to soar and serve their clients with distinction.”

Mr Potts said he would also re-invigorate and support the Society’s “hard-working policy committees to ensure we continue to speak truth to power on policy matters”.

“Of late, we have seen significant encroachments on the rights of citizens, hidden away in innocuous-sounding legislation, and I will ensure that our response to this is clearly heard,” he said.

“In a state with no upper house, our profession’s contribution to the parliamentary process is one of the few checks on government over-reach; it is a part of our role as officers of the court sworn to uphold the rule of law that our vigilance in this regard is unsleeping.”