2007 Awards

Last Friday night (19 October), at the Hilton Sydney Hotel, a room full of attendees hailing from across the various sectors of the legal profession, shared in a monumental milestone in the history of the Women Lawyers’ Association of NSW (WLANSW).

55 years after its formation in 1952, WLANSW announced the Honourable Justice Jane Mathews AO, as its official patron. The announcement was made at a Gala Presentation Dinner for the 2007 NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards.

Justice Mathews gave an inspiring speech as the special guest speaker for the evening, reminding all in attendance of the unique contribution that women have to make to the law.

Her Honour was also the recipient of WLANSW’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award. She is only the second woman lawyer to be presented with this prestigious Award by WLANSW. WLANSW presented its first Lifetime Achievement Award to the Honourable Mary Gaudron QC, the patron of Australian Women Lawyers, in 2002.

Recipients of the other Awards presented and announced at the Dinner were:

• Juliet Bourke, Partner, Aequus Partners, recipient of a special Judging Panel’s award, the Most Outstanding Contribution by a Member Award;
• Stephanie Pursely, Consultant, Freehills, recipient of the 2007 Private or Corporate Lawyer Award;
• Anna Cody, Director, Kingsford Legal Centre, recipient of the 2007 Government or Community Lawyer Award; and
• Julia Grix, solicitor, Legal Aid Commission of NSW, recipient of the 2007 Young Lawyer Award.

“The recipients of this year’s Awards showcase the outstanding versatility of women lawyers,” says Lee-May Saw, President, WLANSW.

“The myth that women lawyers are only suited to particular areas of legal practice or to particular legal workplaces is well and truly dispelled by the recipients of our Awards. The fallacy of this myth has never been a secret to the Women Lawyers’ Association of NSW, and it is well past the time for the broader community to recognise the inexcusable absurdity of the myth,” says Ms Saw.

The major sponsors for the 2007 NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards Gala Presentation Dinner were Locus. The Achievement Awards were supported by the Attorney-General’s Department of NSW, the Bar Association of NSW, the Law Society of NSW, and the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.

Photos of the evening can be view here.

Please click here for the invitation form. View details of the nominees…

Proudly sponsored by:

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Lee-May Saw, President, WLANSW remarks ” Our society is governed by the rule of law and women are now integral to that process. With currently more than 50% of law students being women, it is predicated that in the not too distant future the influence of women in society will only increase.” Former Justice Mary Gaudron, the guest speaker at WLANSW’s 2002 awards night said these words that embody the spirit of the NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards: PRAwards9March07

View the 2007 Awards Application Form. AwardsApplicationR