We are proud to announce the following nominees for the upcoming ACT Women Lawyers Awards. All nominees are of an incredibly high calibre and we know the judging panel will have some very difficult decisions ahead of them.
Winner of the inaugural Woman Lawyer of the Year (Government) Award, Helen Curtis, shares what winning meant to her. We encourage ACT lawyers to nominate themselves, their colleagues, employers and friends before the 31 August deadline. More information on how to nominate is available online.
Women Lawyers Association ACT and ANU Women In Law Organisation invite you to join us for a 'Women in Law Career Panel' on Monday 20 August, from 6:30-7:30pm at ANU.
Our panellists come from a range of backgrounds, and aim to show you that there is no one set path following the completion of a law degree.
Of interest to our members may be the inaugural National Family Violence Summit being held in Canberra on 17-19 March 2016.
This is a grass-roots event, driven by the community services sector. The Tara Costigan Foundation is the main facilitating body.
Dr Ann O’neil and Australian of the Year; David Morrison are two of many keynote speakers. The summit is a mixture of keynote address’ and panel discussions.
Click here for more information and online registration.
We are delighted to invite you to our first event of the new calendar year on Saturday, 20 February 2016 - our Family Day at the ACT Supreme Court, followed by High Tea nearby at Parlour Wine Room, New Acton.
Do your kids (or grandchildren or nieces or nephews...) wonder what on earth you do at work? Bring them along to the Family Day so they can sit at the bar table, try on a wig & gown and visit the cells! Entry is free and we would love to see you and your families there.
Afterwards, enjoy a delicious spread and great conversation at the High Tea. This has proven to be a very popular event in past years so get in early to secure your spot! Members enjoy discounted tickets.
Please see here to purchase tickets online and here for the Event Flyer.
We have an exciting line up of events this year and we hope to see you at as many of them as possible.
Best wishes
Prue Bindon, on behalf of WLA ACT Committee
As we start 2016 and come to the halfway mark of the financial year, WLA ACT is pleased to announce half-yearly and 18-month memberships at reduced rates.
Half yearly Ordinary Membership (valid until 30 June 2016): $40
18 –month Ordinary Membership (valid until 30 June 2017): $100
Membership applications are made online. There is an option via this online form for your firm to be invoiced for the membership fees (and this option allows for multiple lawyers to apply at once). Alternatively, you can apply individually via this online form and pay via by credit card, by bank transfer, or by cheque.
WLA ACT fosters a welcoming and supportive professional environment which, in turn, assists in retaining talented women as valuable members of the legal profession at all stages of their career. Our members come from all sectors of the legal profession – private practice, public sector, universities, judiciary, courts, law students, and people from legal backgrounds who are not currently practising.
Our objectives are to ‘Connect Support Engage’.
Being a member of WLA ACT provides you with the opportunity to do exactly those things: to connect with other lawyers and legal professionals across the ACT, to access a support network that extends beyond the workplace (including sharing experiences, advice and informal mentoring), and to engage with the ACT legal community and the interests of women lawyers.
Membership is open to both men and women. As indicated above, many of our events and initiatives are of value to all lawyers regardless of gender. While many of these have been generated out of issues that particularly impact women lawyers, they ultimately have a broader relevance. It is for this reason that we frequently collaborate with organisations such as the ACT Law Society, ACT Young Lawyers and the ACT Bar Association.
Members enjoy attendance at WLA ACT events for free or at discounted rates and will receive access to our policy publications, news and communications, and initiatives. We are also happy to circulate information to our network on behalf of a member where it is relevant to the interests of our members. Firms also have the opportunity to be an exclusive sponsor of certain WLA ACT events.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding membership.
We are delighted to let you know that registration for the next Australian Women Lawyers' National Conference is now open! It will be held in Perth over 8-10 April 2016 on the theme “Where do we want to be in 5 years?”.
Now in its sixth biennial year, AWL's National Conference attracts hundreds of delegates nationwide and is regarded as the definitive must ‘attend event’ for all female legal practitioners including managing partners, senior counsel, barristers, academics, in house counsel, public sector practitioners and female judicial officers.
We strongly encourage WLA ACT members to attend and reap the benefits of exchanging innovative ideas amongst peers from around Australia. We remind you that you are members of AWL as a result of your membership of WLA ACT.
For further details and registration, please follow this link.
Best wishes,
WLA ACT Committee
The WLA ACT Committee would like to draw your attention to the ACT Attorney General's invitation for expressions of interest from eligible and suitably qualified people for appointment as a resident judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory from 1 July 2016.
Expressions of interest are sought from all areas of the legal community, including the private, government and community sectors. Women, people with disabilities and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Please click on this link for further information, including the process and selection criteria and the personal particulars form.
Expressions of interest close 15 February 2016.
Best wishes
WLA ACT Committee
The Women Lawyers Association of the ACT is seeking expressions of interest from eligible women who work in the ACT (and region) who wish to be included on a confidential register (Register) of women who are suitable for judicial or tribunal appointment.
The purpose of the Register is to enable WLA ACT to respond promptly and effectively to a request from government or other relevant organisations (including the ACT Law Society and Australian Women Lawyers) for nominations for judicial or tribunal appointments.
WLA ACT recognises that eligible women may not put themselves forward for such appointments unless they are asked and/or encouraged to do so. WLA ACT believes that maintaining the Register is a proactive step towards improving the numbers of eligible women nominated for such appointments.
If you wish to express an interest in being included on the confidential Register, we invite you to complete our online Confidential Expression of Interest Form.
This year, WLA ACT, in partnership with the ACT Young Lawyers Society, conducted the fourth annual Young Lawyers’ Pay and Conditions Survey. The purpose of the survey was to collect data in relation to the basic pay and conditions of early-career lawyers (lawyers with five or fewer years of post-admission experience).
The survey aims to collate information on not only the income of early-career lawyers, but also asks participants to provide their thoughts on what influences pay increases, whether they felt comfortable asking their employer for flexible working arrangements, their knowledge on parental leave schemes and their overall satisfaction of the legal profession.
Survey results in previous years have provided an invaluable tool for early-career lawyers and employers to assess rates of pay and conditions across a wide sector of the legal community. The survey provides a detailed analysis of working conditions, including hours worked per week, average wages for each year of post admission experience, leave entitlements and other financial or material benefits provided to employees.
This year was our most successful year in terms of responses to the survey with 140 respondents participating. The breakdown of respondents included 110 women and 30 men. The survey was open to all early-career lawyers in the jurisdiction, including government sector solicitors. The survey was strictly anonymous so as to encourage honest and forthright feedback.
The final report will be distributed and presented at our launch event on 24 November 2015 at 5:30pm at the As You Like It café. The launch will be an opportunity to discuss the themes outlined in the report and engage in discussion in relation to the conditions early-career lawyers face. Further details in relation to this event will be announced in the coming weeks.
Finally, WLA ACT, in conjunction with the ACT Young Lawyers Society will be using the data collected to assist in policy development and to advocate for women following the results of the NARS report.
After two years at the helm, Juliet Behrens decided not to stand for President for a third year and I have stepped into the role. Juliet has obviously left some very large shoes to fill but in doing so has also set a fine example to which I can aspire.
In her time as President, Juliet has taken WLA ACT from strength to strength including a huge increase in membership, numerous successful networking and mentoring events, and the formulation of a range of critical policy initiatives that have characterised WLA ACT’s practical and meaningful response to the NARS report. Thank you to Juliet and I am grateful that she will continue to be involved as our representative on the board of Australian Women Lawyers and as a member of our policy subcommittee.
Perhaps now more than any other time I feel an affinity with the objectives of our association to ‘Connect. Support. Engage’.
As I grapple with the challenges of working in a law firm, being a mother, teaching law and (I like to imagine!) having other interests, I realise the true value of these objectives. Without them, the challenges risk being too much to bear; with them, the challenges become surmountable and worth the effort.
It is an honour to take on the Presidency of WLA ACT and I do so with heartfelt commitment.
Tamara Sullivan, our former treasurer, has stepped into the role of Vice President and provides much appreciated assistance to me in overseeing the efforts of the association and fostering stakeholder relationships. Tamara has been a committee member for some years now and I am fortunate to have her experienced support.
I would also like to thank the former Vice President, Christina McPherson, for her tireless efforts over the past two years, particularly as Chair of the Events sub-committee responsible for organising so many fabulous events. We wish her the very best for her upcoming maternity leave.
Tiffany Long continues in the role of Secretary. We are fortunate to have her reliable hands to facilitate the smooth and efficient administration of the association and our compliance with legal requirements. The AGM ran seamlessly and efficiently thanks to Tiffany’s planning and execution.
Emma Lawrence is our new treasurer and also a new member to the committee. Emma has recently returned from many years’ practice in London with her lovely children in tow. I am delighted that Emma has taken on the treasurer’s role and will no doubt sustain the excellent financial records of the association.
I thank Tamara for her meticulous efforts as former treasurer and for ensuring that we passed our last audit report with flying colours!
As general committee members, it is wonderful to have the continued service of Georgina McKay, Georgina Gordon, Sarah Spottiswood and Kim Back. A big welcome to our two new committee members - Angela Li and Phillipa Spence – who bring fresh enthusiasm and perspectives to the committee.
Angela has also stepped in to fill Christina’s shoes as Chair of the events subcommittee so will have plenty to keep her busy this year!
Thanks to our outgoing committee members – Jacquelyn Curtis and Anne Louise Pham – for their valuable efforts on the committee.
Of course, supporting the committee are our sub-committees and these would not be possible without the generosity of members who are willing to participate on these: Juliet Behrens, Jacquelyn Curtis, Desiree Thistlewaite, Eleanor Hobba, Allison Clark, Christina McPherson, Christie Gardiner and Kelsey Davis.
If you are interested in becoming involved with any of our subcommittees, we would love to hear from you! Please email us at contact@wlaact.org.au.
I conclude the introductions with a big thank you to all the former, continuing and new members of the committee and sub-committees, for your willingness to volunteer your time to this important association and its objectives.
Prue Bindon
WLA ACT President
