Trangie-born and Dubbo-raised Doug Butcherine has not been able to avoid the accolades earned from a lifetime of service to community through his work as both a solicitor and volunteer member of multiple organisations.

President of the Orana Law Society (OLS) Andrew Boog yesterday suggested that new solicitors would be wise to "use him as a benchmark".

He called the principal of Nelson Keane and Hemingway a man of "absolute integrity, decency and compassion".

Doug Butcherine joined the Church Street law firm about a month after he was admitted as a solicitor on May 1, 1964.

His pathway to tertiary education began in Catholic and public schools in Dubbo where the Butcherine family settled during World War II and watched soldiers walk the streets.

A stint with the Department of Lands in Dubbo and then Sydney opened the doors of its premier university to a young Doug Butcherine, the first of his family to "do the leaving and attend uni".

"In the lands department I could get time off for lectures at Sydney University during the day and make up the hours later," he said on the eve of the 50th anniversary.

Soon after graduating Mr Butcherine felt the pull of Dubbo, yet to be proclaimed a city and home to about 15,000 people.

The late Gordon Keane and Bill Hemingway gave him a job and a platform for watching Dubbo and the business of law change, dramatically.

In 1964 shops and offices closed for lunch and public holidays approved for the likes of picnic races.

Faxes and emails were unheard of when the young solicitor began to make his mark, as was a device that is now on the brink of being obsolete.

In 1964 there was no pocket calculators," Mr Butcherine said.

"All calculations had to be done manually.

"If you really wanted to contact someone urgently you sent a telegram.

"Computers have changed it all completely...very exciting."

Mr Butcherine's career has been all the better for "contact with clients".

"Listening to your clients is the big thing, knowing what they want," he said.

Dubbo has provided the father of five Sydney University graduates-two lawyers and a pharmacist in Dubbo, a doctor in Hobart and scientist in Coffs Harbour-with "a very happy 50 years".

He has returned the favour by serving as a Dubbo City councillor, Rotarian, on Catholic Church committees and multiple boards including Lourdes Hospital and Dubbo RSL Aged Care Association.

Mr Butcherine will be the special guest at an OLS function tomorrow night.