---
title: "Duty lawyer brief and appearance note (NSW Local Court criminal list)"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/legal-aid-and-community-legal-practice/local-court-duty-brief"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a54-local-court-duty-brief"
area_id: "A54"
kind: "checklist"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
task_ids: ["A54-B5-22"]
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-22"
---

# Duty lawyer brief and appearance note (NSW Local Court criminal list)

> Brief for a Legal Aid NSW Local Court duty appearance: what the scheme covers, means and verification limits, and a file note of what was done and what was refused.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/legal-aid-and-community-legal-practice/local-court-duty-brief  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Checklist. Steps or checks to work through and tick off.
- Practice area: [Legal Aid & Community Legal Practice](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/legal-aid-and-community-legal-practice.md)
- Jurisdictions: Australia, New South Wales
- AI level: Yellow. You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-22
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-22 against the authority it cites, for Australia and New South Wales.

## When to use it

Use on the morning of a rostered Local Court criminal duty list, and again before leaving court, so the file shows who was seen, what was in scope, and what application was lodged.

## Used for these tasks

- [Prepare a duty-lawyer brief from the court list and charge sheet](https://ailawframework.com/practice/legal-aid-and-community-legal-practice/prepare-a-duty-lawyer-brief-from-the-court-list-and-charge-sheet.md)

## How AI may be used

AI may turn the court list and charge sheets into a first brief. The lawyer decides who is assisted, the plea and what is said to the court.

**AI may:**

- Build a list of names, charges and sequence numbers from the court list and charge sheets
- Flag matters that the guidelines put outside duty scope, for the lawyer to confirm
- Leave a blank file-note row for each person the lawyer sees

**AI must not:**

- Must not advise a plea, a bail proposal or a sentence submission
- Must not decide that a person meets the means test
- Must not appear, or draft words for the lawyer to say, in a defended hearing or a committal

**The lawyer checks:**

- The appearance is inside guideline 13 (guilty plea that can be dealt with summarily, bail, mention or adjournment) and is not a defended hearing, a committal, or a matter that needs a disbursement
- Adult means are applied except on a first bail application, and Children's Court duty is treated as not means tested, as the guidelines state
- Verification documents are sighted before any later appearance. The first appearance may proceed without them
- The client has signed the duty application form, and a grant is lodged where the guidelines say the duty solicitor must lodge one

## Authorities

- [Legal Aid NSW, Local Court Duty Solicitor Scheme guidelines (in-scope appearances, matters the duty solicitor must not appear in, means test, verification, signed duty application, same duties as to a private client)](https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/for-lawyers/schemes/duty-solicitor-scheme/local-court-duty-solicitor-scheme-guidelines)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/legal-aid-and-community-legal-practice/local-court-duty-brief and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*