The Law Society also issued a statement saying it had "undertaken an internal process in relation to this matter" but would be making no further comment due to the "confidential nature of that process".
The Law Society's statement added that it acknowledged "the concern that this has caused".
"We are committed to facilitating appropriate consideration of the use of character references following conviction, acknowledging that there will be a broad range of views. "
Nicola said she was surprised and disappointed by that response and called for greater "transparency" from the Law Society and "more reassurance" for victims.
She contrasted it with the "very firm and decisive action" that was taken by Lavery's other employers at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC).
On Tuesday, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant removed Lavery from his post as a human rights commissioner.
The Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said the NIHRC found that Lavery had breached the NIHRC code of governance, and was "capable of bringing the commission into disrepute".
The Law Society's decision not to reveal the outcome of its own internal process was criticised by the chair of Stormont's Justice Committee Paul Frew.
"To stay silent on this I think is wrong," the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member told BBC News NI.
"I think they have to, at the very least, tell us what their conclusions were and how they got to those conclusions."
Frew said openness and transparency was required so the public could have confidence in the decision-making process.
