WLA ACT Committee

2023/24 Committee Members

Executive

President

Danielle Mildren

Vice President

Louise Parry

Secretary

Amanda Garside

Treasurer

Chiara Cirillo

Policy Subcommittee Co-Chair

Kirsty-Lee Coker

Steph Robbie

Communications Subcommittee Chair

Laura Dowling

Australian Women Lawyers Representative

Harriet Boothman

Membership Officer

Cindy Lim

Who are we?

The WLA ACT Committee currently comprises four executive and four general committee members.  We also nominate the ACT representative to the Australian Women Lawyers.

The committee is responsible for managing the activities and initiatives of the WLA ACT and also oversees four subcommittees - policy, events, finance and marketing, and memberships.

What are the committee and subcommittees like?

Our committee and subcommittee members pride ourselves on being an inclusive and friendly network, qualities also reflected in our membership.  We work in different areas of the law and come from different backgrounds.  Some of us have a terrible weakness for puns.

All of us have a keen interest in promoting the interests of our members within our community and beyond.  We love being engaged with our members and are also active across a range of issues and platforms. The Committee meets monthly.

Policy Subcommittee

The Policy Subcommittee aims to:

  • promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in the ACT; and

  • bring justice and social issues that affect women to the attention of WLA ACT members and the community.

We develop resources, programs and events directed to:

  • employment issues affecting women such as sexual harassment and discrimination;

  • flexible work practices for lawyers;

  • retention, attrition and pay equity for female lawyers; and

  • career progression of female lawyers into leadership roles.

We also promote awareness of human rights issues that affect women including by organising panel discussions and events, preparing submissions and reports and publicising law reform issues.

The policy subcommittee meets monthly. Please contact us at contact@wlaact.org.au for more information.

 

Communications Subcommittee

The mission of the Communications Subcommittee is to support the functions of the WLA ACT to promote the interests of women lawyers in the ACT. We do this in three core areas:

Connect – Support – Engage.

We connect with women lawyers in the ACT via the association’s social media, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

We support important policy initiatives of the association, as well as WLA ACT events throughout the year, by promoting events, organising invites, and capturing the highlights and important conversations arising from these events.

We engage members via the association’s many communications channels, including the website, social media, monthly emails to members, and the quarterly newsletter. We also engage the broader ACT legal profession by supporting the advocacy and policy work of WLA ACT. This includes providing assistance in drafting letters and other communications.

Please contact us at contact@wlaact.org.au for further information, or if you are interested in joining the Communications Subcommittee.

 

Events Subcommittee

The Events Subcommittee works with the general committee members to determine the calendar of events and activities throughout the year. Its hardworking members strategically organise, plan and coordinate with members of the judiciary and prominent women in the legal profession, as well as academics and women advocates to bring together exciting, diverse and informative events. 

We strive to make our events:

  • A celebration of the value of women in the legal profession;

  • A platform for networking, connecting and fostering relationships; and

  • A way to educate our members and the wider public, including CPD events.

A snapshot of our past events include:

  • Mentoring events

  • Networking events

  • Family focused events

  • Our annual Lawyers’ Pay and Conditions Survey

  • Our annual Law Week Dinner (in collaboration with the ACT Law Society)

  • Regular continuing professional development seminars

For more information on our past and upcoming events, please see out Events page.

The Events subcommittee meets monthly (usually over a wine!). Please contact us at events@wlaact.org.au for more information.

 

Are you interested in getting involved with a WLA subcommittee?

Email us at contact@wlaact.org.au. We would love to hear from you!

If you would like to join WLA, you can purchase membership online.