Webinar: Managing Persistent, Vexatious and Self-Represented Complainants: A Survival Guide for University Lawyers

Tuesday 24 March 2026 | 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm (AEDT)

We are pleased to invite you to a practical webinar addressing the increasing challenges university legal teams face in managing persistent, vexatious and self-represented complainants.

While many matters begin with a legitimate concern, some escalate into prolonged disputes characterised by repeated correspondence, procedural manoeuvring and, at times, serial litigation across multiple forums.

This seminar will cover early warning signs, governance controls including single-point contact and behavioural agreements, litigation strategies for self-represented and serial litigants, managing reputational and media escalation, and boundary-setting for in-house lawyers to avoid escalation and burnout.

Participants will leave with a clear framework to distinguish difficult but legitimate matters from genuinely vexatious conduct, together with practical strategies to contain risk and protect staff, and tools that can be applied immediately within a university legal and governance context.

The session will also allow time for questions and discussion.

This seminar is eligible for Continuing Legal Education purposes (1 CPD unit).

Presenter: Helen Fleming, Principal, HF Associates

Helen is a senior governance and legal adviser with more than 25 years’ experience in the Australian university sector. Her career spans senior leadership as University Secretary and General Counsel at Western Sydney University, a decade in legal practice at the University of Sydney, and an academic appointment at the University of Technology Sydney.

She has extensive experience advising universities on complex and escalating complaints, including persistent and vexatious self-represented litigants, tribunal proceedings and associated reputational and psychosocial risk.

Moderator: Helen Chu, Director, SOUL

Location: Online via Zoom

(members will need to login and join the 'Events' Group to obtain the meeting link - please note the event is intended for SOUL members only)