What we've recently been up and what we're looking forward to...
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Dear Members and Colleagues
I hope this email finds you all well. It has been a busy year!
A reminder that the 2024-2025 membership is now due. If you have already renewed, we are grateful for continued support of WLANSW.
A gentle reminder to those who have not yet renewed. You can renew online via your member profile.
We offer a range of different memberships for Solicitors (CBD based and regional), Barristers, Judicial officers, Community lawyers, Legal Academics, and Associate memberships for our male colleagues.
Law Students join for free.
To become a member or find out more about membership click the button below.
If you experience any difficulties in relation to the website, please email our Executive Officer Ann Parisi at executive@womenlawyersnsw.org.au
WELCOME TO THE LAW SERIES
Our four-part Welcome to the Law Series was held throughout May and June and was very well attended. The panellists, all WLANSW 2023 Award winners, with an impressive and broad range of experience in corporate, government and in-house practice, shared their insight and practical tips and tricks from lawyers in practise. We are thankful to the College of Law and Bartier Perry for kindly hosting the series. Congratulations to our executive committee member Hannah Lawson for leading the sub-committee and to her sub-committee members for providing her with support.
TRIVIA NIGHT
On 19 July 2024, we held our third annual Trivia Night; Minter Ellison kindly hosted this event. Despite the global CrowdStrike software glitch, the executive rallied together and we were able to still deliver the event.
It was a fantastic night filled with laughs, friendly rivalry and networking.
Congratulations to our winners and to our Vice President, Allysha-Jane Merrett who was a fantastic MC and thank you to our Treasurer Rochelle Cortan-Alvar for her work in bringing us all together.
[insert photo of our winners – Justine will email to you]
It was great to meet so many of you!
THE HONOURABLE JANE MATHEWS AO MEMORIAL PRIZE
The Women Laywers Association of NSW was honoured to be part of the University of Wollongong (UOW) Faculty of Business and Law Awards. The Faculty of Business and Law Awards ceremony celebrates high achieving University of Wollongong Law students. This event was held on Wednesday 24 July 2024 at the UOW Innovation Campus. The Honourable Jane Mathews AO was the first woman judge appointed to the District Court of NSW in 1980 (then later to the Supreme Court and Federal Court); she was a trail blazer for women lawyers. Jane was the WLA’s first Patron whom we lost in 2019. To honour her incredible career and impact on women lawyers, the WLANSW and UOW set up a scholarship in her honour.
This year was the inaugural year of the Jane Mathews AO Memorial Prize, a Prize awarded to the highest performing woman student in second year in the School of Law. To mark its origination, our Patron The Honourable Virginia Bell AC gave a rousing speech about Jane, women in the law and the importance of advocating for equality.
The award was won by Emily Hinder, an astute student who is undertaking a double degree: Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science (Cell and Molecular Biology). Emily is one to watch!
2024 ANNUAL JEAN ARNOT RECOGNITION AWARDS
The National Council of Women of NSW Inc. and Business & Professional Women held their 2024 Annual Jean Arnot Recognition Awards on 12 August 2024.
The WLA’s nominee was the Honourable Chief Justice Elizabeth Evatt AC.
The Honourable former Chief Justice Elizabeth Evatt AC has made exceptional contributions to the rule of law, reform of the law and to ensuring that women and girls have substantive equality under the law. She has been a judge, scholar, and an international human rights advocate with the vision that human rights are a force for unity and peace in the world.
On the enactment of the Family Law Act abolishing fault-based divorce and creating the new Family Court, she was appointed the inaugural Chief Justice in 1976.
Her Honour has worked tirelessly to promote an understanding of the role International human rights can play in our community and was a part-time commissioner of HREOC, now the AHRC and an editor and librarian of the BIICL in London, as well as serving as an elected member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women for 8 years, with two of those years serving as Chair.
On the enactment of the Family Law Act abolishing fault-based divorce and creating the new Family Court, she was appointed the inaugural Chief Justice in 1976.
Her Honour’s contributions to Australia's civil society span her roles as a judge, law reformer, academic and international human rights advocate. Her leadership of significant national and international institutions and her key role in reforming society, particularly to empower women and overcome gender inequality in all its forms, provides an enduring legacy for future generations.
All award nominees were honoured with a Recognition Certificate at a luncheon held at Parliament House, Sydney.
EMERITUS PROFESSOR ROSALIND CROUCHER AM
We would like to acknowledge Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM on her recent conclusion of her 7 year term as President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Ros has been a longtime supporter of the WLANSW and we too have been a strong supporter of Ros.
We would like to congratulate and thank her for her leadership as President of AHRC and to acknowledge the immense contribution she had provided to the legal profession and women within it.
BI-ANNUAL JANET COOMBS LUNCH FOR NEW WOMEN BARRISTERS
The Janet Coombs Lunch to welcome the new women barristers called to the NSW Bar will be held on:
Wednesday, 4 September 2024
1:00pm – 2:30pm
Verandah Social Dining, 55 Elizabeth St, Sydney
The biannual lunch co-hosted by the Women Barristers Forum and WLANSW continues the tradition started by the late Janet Coombs AM to welcome new women barristers with lunch. All are welcome.
A fun, free networking evening for our Wollongong practitioners
Date: 5 September 2024
Time: 6.30pm- 9.00pm
Where The Illawarra Brewery, Crown Street Wollongong
Cost: Free
RSVP: 30 August 2024 email executive@womenlawyersnsw.org.au
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN LAWYERS 2024 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The AWL National Conference is on in Canberra from Friday, 18 October – Saturday, 19 October 2024.
This year it is themed “Leading the Way”. The AWL National Conference is the premier conference for women lawyers, thought leaders, change champions, students, and professionals in the Australian legal profession.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Jennifer Robinson, barrister; The Hon Justice Jacqueline Gleeson of the High Court; Her Honour Justice Louise Taylor of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.
Click here for further information and to register.
Don't forget, as a member of WLANSW you are automatically members of AWL.
We hope to see you at one of our events in the future.
As always, keep an eye on our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X for updates.
Kind regards
Justine Anderson
President
Women Lawyers Association of New South Wales
