Call for EOI - Associate Judge of the ACT Supreme Court

We would like to draw your attention to the Attorney-General's call for expressions of interest from eligible and suitably qualified people for appointment as the Associate Judge of the ACT Supreme Court.

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.

For more information, click here.

We also remind you that WLA maintains a confidential register of women suitable for judicial or tribunal appointment. The register means that we can get in touch with you directly if a suitable vacancy arises. It also means that we can respond promptly to any consultation requests from government or others. To access the confidential register, click here.

Mentor Breakfast with Noor Blumer

Mentor Breakfast with Noor Blumer

WLA ACT is pleased to invite you to our first Mentor Breakfast of 2017, with guest speaker Noor Blumer, Director of Blumers Personal Injury Lawyers and 2016 Woman Lawyer of the Year.

Noor Blumer is currently Director of Blumers Personal Injury Lawyers. She moved to Canberra in 2000 and, with her husband Mark Blumer, established the successful and widely-recognised personal injury firm.

Noor finished school at age 16, and later studied law remotely from Griffith, NSW, while at the same time working full time and caring for her children. When she was admitted to practice, she was the only woman lawyer in Griffith and later became the first woman to be a law partner in the entire Riverina district. 

She has served as President of the ACT Law Society, when she was only the second woman to be elected in the Society's history. Her selection as WLA ACT's inaugural Woman Lawyer of the Year 2016 was a surprise to no one, being a leader and inspiration to her peers and the women lawyers who come after her. 

Mentor breakfasts provide our members with the opportunity to hear from a prominent woman in the legal profession and to celebrate and learn from their achievements.

Noor will share her insights on her fascinating career at our first mentor breakfast of the year.

Event Details

Date and time: Wednesday 15 February 2017, 7.45am. 

Venue: National Ballroom 4, Hotel Realm, Canberra. 

Cost: $45 for members and $50 for non-members.

Attendees will be able to claim 1 CPD point in Core Area 3. 

Please click here to purchase tickets.

Junior Lawyers Pay and Conditions Survey Launch

On 29 November 2016, WLA ACT, in conjunction with the ACT Young Lawyers Committee, held its annual ‘Junior Lawyers Pay and Conditions Survey Launch’.

Each year, WLA ACT, in collaboration with the Act Young Lawyers Committee, runs a survey targeted at early-career lawyers in the ACT to collect data about pay and conditions.

The Survey aims to collate information no only about 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 and their overall satisfaction of the legal profession.

This year we received 126 responses. The Survey was open to all early-career lawyers in the ACT jurisdiction, including lawyers working in the government sector lawyers. As with previous years, the Survey was conducted on an anonymous basis so as to encourage honest and forthright feedback.

Our Findings Report, analysing and presenting the results from the Survey, was released at our launch event on 29 November 2016. We were delighted to have Katrina Musgrove, Barrister at Blackburn Chambers, as our guest speaker. Katrina provided useful advice for early-career lawyers, including:

• When negotiating pay and conditions, you should advocate for yourself. Gather the evidence and prepare your submissions.
• Ask yourself, ‘what is your dream job? Where do you want to be?’ Have a plan and a goal.
• Seek out mentors – are there those in the profession that you admire?  
• Learn from your experiences, especially the painful ones.
• Be confident (‘get some swagger!’). 
• Finally, have fun. 

We would like to extend a special thank you to Minter Ellison who kindly sponsored this event.

Please click HERE to read the full Findings Report. 

Congratulations to the outstanding winners of the ACT Women Lawyers Awards 2016!

We are delighted for the outstanding winners of the inaugural ACT Women Lawyers Awards 2006 who were announced at the Gala Dinner at Old Parliament House on 3 November 2016.

Woman Lawyer of the Year: Noor Blumer (Blumers Lawyers)

Firm of the Year: Clayton Utz and DDCS Lawyers (joint winners)

Woman Lawyer of the Year - Private Practice: Sarah Avery (Ken Cush & Associates)

Woman Lawyer of the Year - CALD and ATSI: Liz Huang Hughes-Brown (Welcome Legal)

Woman Lawyer of the Year - Government: Helen Curtis (Australian Government Solicitor)

Woman Lawyer of the Year - Community and Academic: Margie Rowe (ANU College of Law)

Woman Lawyer of the Year - Early Career: Angela Lauman (Legal Aid ACT) and Lauren Haywood (Clayton Utz) (joint winners)

Read the media report here and the story by ANU College of Law here.

ACT Women Lawyers Awards Nominees

The Selection Committee has been busy at work on the very difficult task of determining the winners of the ACT Women Lawyers Awards 2016.  

We would like to congratulate all the nominees, and the firms and organisations where they work, for the honour of having your talent, hard work and achievements recognised.

Congratulations to the following lawyers who have been nominated for an award:

• Jane Alver
• Sarah Avery
• Noor Blumer
• Katharine Boiko
• Prudence Buckland
• Clarissa Campbell
• Claire Carton
• Catherine Coles
• Helen Curtis
• Amy Eager
• Emilie Franklin
• Hannah Griffiths
• Nilanka Goonetillake
• Lauren Haywood
• Liz Huang Hughes-Brown
• Magda Kucharska
• Angela Lauman
• Sarah Lynch
• Katrina Marson
• Lisa Manzoney
• Danielle Mildren
• Rachel Noronha
• Dilani Ponniah
• Margie Rowe
• Tamara Sullivan
• Emily Tighe
• Rebecca Tetlow
• Tharanie Vithanage
• Jessica Wolski
• Jessica Wynd

Congratulations to the following firms and organisations who have lawyers nominated for an award or who are themselves nominated: 

• ACT DPP
• ACT Government Solicitor
• ANU College of Law
• Australian Government Solicitor
• Bucket Orange
• Blumers Lawyers
• Chamberlains
• Clayton Utz
• Department of Employment
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Department of Immigration & Border Protection
• Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson
• Griffin Legal
• Infinity Legal
• Ken Cush & Associates
• King & Wood Mallesons
• Legal Aid Commission ACT
• McInnes Wilson
• Mazengarb Family Lawyers
• University of Canberra
• Watts McCray Lawyers
• Welcome Legal

We look forward to announcing the winners at the Gala Dinner in just over one week's time!

Women Lawyers Awards Gala Dinner Tickets Sold Out

We have recently sold out our Awards Gala Dinner tickets. Our apologies to members and guests who were unable to purchase a ticket in time. 

We look forward to seeing those attending next week, for what is sure to be a wonderful event. 

Women Lawyers Awards Gala Dinner Tickets On Sale

WLA ACT is pleased to announce tickets for the inaugural Women Lawyers Awards Gala Dinner are now on sale.

Gather your friends and colleagues and join us in celebrating the winners of the inaugural ACT Women Lawyers Awards 2016.

We are delighted that our guest speaker for the evening will be author, journalist and broadcaster Annabel Crabb. 

One of Australia's most popular political commentators, Annabel Crabb is the presenter of Kitchen Cabinet. She has worked extensively in newspapers, radio and television and has appeared on Insiders, The Drum, Gruen Nation, Q&A and as stand-in host for 7:30. She graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws degrees. She is the author of several books, including the 2014 non-fiction bestseller 'The Wife Drought', and won a Walkley Award for her Quarterly Essay 'Stop At Nothing: The Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull'.

The Gala Dinner will include a three course meal and drinks.

Event details

Time and Date: 6.30pm for 7pm, Thursday November 3

Location: Kings Hall, Old Parliament House

Dress: After five

Cost: $90 for members

          $110 for non-members

          $900 for tables of 10

Tickets are available for purchase online. 

There are a limited number of tickets available so we encourage you to get in early.

Annual General Meeting

We remind members that the Women Lawyers Association of the ACT's Annual General Meeting is being held at 5.30pm on 21 September 2016 at the ACT Law Society.

Nomination forms for committee positions are due by 5:00pm on 14 September 2016.

We hope to see you there.