Her Say! News, Views & Events

Dear Members and Friends,

I hope that you enjoyed the holidays. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you the best for the New Year and 2015.

A roundtable discussion of the new Women Lawyer’s Association of NSW (WLANSW) Executive Committee has identified the theme of Engagement for the activities, initiatives and events of WLANSW for this year.

The adoption of this theme for 2015 will see:

WLANSW engaging in debate and discussion on issues affecting women lawyers and women in the law via media including social media.
WLANSW engaging with lawyers across various sectors of the legal profession, including regional areas, large commercial firms, corporations, banks, businesses, and from law students to senior lawyers.
WLANSW members, partners, and friends engaged at WLANSW functions and events in networking and informal mentoring.
Engagement between an energetic WLANSW Executive Committee and WLANSW members through WLANSW functions, events and initiatives.
Engagement of WLANSW with its partners and sponsors in a fashion that furthers the objects of our association and in the interest of WLANSW members and women lawyers.
Engagement of WLANSW with our male colleagues on issues impacting on workplace culture, flexibility in the workplace, part-time work, parental leave, and remuneration.
Engagement of WLANSW and the WLANSW Executive Committee with an awareness of current market trends, including trends within the legal profession for solicitors and young lawyers.

2015 is set to be a year of exciting opportunities for women lawyers. In an age where 49% of solicitors are women, it is disturbing to see far too many women continuing to struggle with finding productive opportunities following parental leave, and far too many women prevented from contributing as extensively as men and rising to their best potential.

For WLANSW, 2015 will see the presentation of our biennial Women Lawyers Achievement Awards, including the announcement of a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. It will also see the final Semester phase of our major project the Career Intentions Survey and the release of the analysis of results and report of findings.

WLANSW will be holding a cocktail event on Wednesday 25 February at 6pm with Professor Rosalind Croucher AM, President of the Australian Law Reform Commission, as guest speaker. This event will launch WLANSW’s 2015 theme of ‘Engagement’. WLANSW subcommittees for the year will be announced to members and guests on this occasion. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Katrina Dawson Foundation. Please see below for further details of the event and registration, and visit our Event Calendar for information on upcoming events as they are confirmed.

Kind regards,

Lee-May Saw
President

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

Support the organisation that has supported women in law since 1952.

For further information on joining or to renew your membership please contact our office or visit our website.

Click here for the Membership Form.

Cocktail Launch of 2015 Program

Guest Speaker: Prof Rosalind Croucher AM, President Australian Law Reform Commission
6-8pm, Wednesday 25th February 2015
Union, University & Schools Club of Sydney, 25 Bent St, Sydney

Please join us for an evening of networking, meet the new Executive Committee, get first hand updates of an exciting line-up for 2015, and hear from one of our long-term and Life Members, Prof Rosalind Croucher AM, a most engaging speaker, who is in sync with our theme of ‘Engagement’ for 2015.

Professor Croucher was appointed to the ALRC in February 2007, and in December 2009 as President. Prior to this she was Dean of Law at Macquarie University (Nov 1999–Feb 2007), where she still holds a Chair. Professor Croucher has lectured and published extensively, principally in the fields of equity, trusts, property, inheritance and legal history. At the ALRC Professor Croucher was the Commissioner in charge of seven inquiries and is currently leading the inquiry into legal barriers for people with disability in Commonwealth laws. Professor Croucher also continues her academic writing where she can, around the exigencies and demands of ALRC inquiries.

In 2011 she was recognised as one of the 40 ‘inspirational alumni’ of UNSW, where she gained her PhD in 1994. In 2013 she was given honorary life membership of the Women Lawyers’ Association of NSW. In 2014 she was acknowledged for her contributions to public policy as one of Australia’s ‘100 Women of Influence’ in the Australian Financial Review and Westpac awards; and for her ‘outstanding contribution to the legal profession’ role in supporting and advancing women in the legal profession she was awarded the Australian Women Lawyer’s award. In the Australia Day Honours list, 2015, Professor Croucher was conferred the award of Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the law as an academic, to legal reform and education, to professional development, and to the arts”.

Proceeds from this event will be donated to
The Katrina Dawson Foundation http://www.thekatrinadawsonfoundation.org/.

Please click here for further details and registration.

GENDER AND LEGAL EXPERT, LAW & POLICY DEPARTMENT – VIETNAM WOMEN’S UNION, HANOI, VIETNAM

Are you a gender specialist with a legal background? Do you enjoy training others and sharing your skills? Like to experience living and working in Vietnam?

The Legal and Policy Department of the Vietnam Women’s Union consults with Union leadership in legal and policy areas relating to women and gender equality; drafts recommendations to mainstream gender concerns in current laws, policies and regulations, and, deals with complaints from citizens. The purpose of this role is to build the Legal and Policy Department staff capacity in mainstreaming gender considerations in laws and policies and in reviewing, evaluating and commenting on gender equality laws and policies.

If you feel that you could be suited to this role, take a closer look at the position description below and get in touch with us. All applications must be submitted online by 2 March 2015.

To see the position description and selection criteria for this role, visit:
http://www.australianvolunteers.com/jobs/10533564-gender-and-legal-expert/

For a list of all assignments –
http://www.australianvolunteers.com/volunteer/all-assignments/.aspx

This position is part of the Australian Volunteers for International Development program, an Australian Government initiative.

Hart Publishing is delighted to announce the publication of ‘Australian Feminist Judgments’ edited by Heather Douglas, Francesca Bartlett, Trish Luker and Rosemary Hunter and offer you a 20% discount!

This book brings together feminist academics and lawyers to present an impressive collection of alternative judgments in a series of Australian legal cases. By re-imagining original legal decisions through a feminist lens, the collection explores the possibilities, limits and implications of feminist approaches to legal decision-making. Each case is accompanied by a brief commentary that places it in legal and historical context and explains what the feminist rewriting does differently to the original case. The cases not only cover topics of long-standing interest to feminist scholars – such as family law, sexual offences and discrimination law – but also areas which have had less attention, including Indigenous sovereignty, constitutional law, immigration, taxation and environmental law. The collection contributes a distinctly Australian perspective to the growing international literature investigating the role of feminist legal theory in judicial decision-making. Please click here to view the table of contents for this book

ORDER ONLINE To receive the 20% discount online please write ref: BU8 in the voucher code field and click ‘apply’:
http://www.hartpub.co.uk/BookDetails.aspx?ISBN=9781849465212

Alternatively, please contact Hart Publishing’s Distributor, Macmillan Distribution Limited, by telephone or e-mail and quote reference BU8 when placing your order:
Macmillan Distribution (MDL), Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, RG21 6XS, UK
UK ORDERS: Tel: +44 (0)1256 302692 Fax: +44 (0)1256 812521 / 812558 E-mail: direct@macmillan.co.uk
EU AND ROW ORDERS: Tel: +44 (0)1256 329242 Fax: +44 (0)1256 842084 E-mail: export@macmillan.co.uk

International Women’s Day 2015

All around the world, International Women’s Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality.

Make It Happen is the 2015 theme for our internationalwomensday.com global hub, encouraging effective action for advancing and recognising women, and noting events in Australia and around the world.

Each year International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day.

Various organisations identify their own International Women’s Day theme, specific to their local context and interests. Many charities, NGOs and Governments also adopt a relevant theme or campaign to mark the day. For example, organisations like the UN, Oxfam, Women for Women, Care International, Plan, World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and more – run exciting and powerful campaigns that raise awareness and encourage donations for good causes. The UN has been declaring an annual equality theme for many years.

Why purple?

From 1908, the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in Great Britain adopted the colour scheme of purple, white and green to symbolise the plight of the Suffragettes. Purple symbolised justice and dignity – two values strongly associated with women’s equality. The three colours were used for banners, flags, rosettes and badges to show solidarity.

13-14 March 2015, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

One in four Australians are born overseas.

Anticipate the future directions of Australian Courts and become a leader in the management of cultural diversity. Over two days expert speakers from around the nation will share the strategies they have used to ensure access to justice for people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Be part of a conversation with Australia’s key judicial leadership on the changing role of our courts. Attain up to 10 CPD points.

Hear from expert panels on:

· Best practice for judicial officers in a multicultural courtroom
· Strategies for tribunals in dealing with culturally diverse cases
· What every practitioner should do to ensure justice for culturally diverse clients
· International perspectives on access to justice
· Enhancing public trust and community engagement
· Justice, Terrorism and Security

An evolving and contemporary dimension of justice and relevant to all judicial officers, tribunal members, administrators and legal practitioners. Click here for further information and registration. Note: Updated program.

WIN an in-season double pass to see ‘SELMA’ compliments of Studio Canal

Email: executive@womenlawyersnsw.org.au with the subject ‘SELMA’. Only winners will be contacted.

SELMA is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for African-Americans – a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated in the epic march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama that galvanised American public opinion and persuaded President Johnson to introduce the Voting Rights Act in 1965. This film marks the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s iconic marches and is produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B company (was also behind 12 Years a Slave) and Oprah Winfrey. Releasing in cinemas February 12. Check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yaw0QM5rWs0

Who are Australian Women Lawyers (AWL)?

Formed in 1997, AWL is the national body representing and funded by women lawyers associations in Australia. The current AWL Patron is the Honourable Chief Justice Diana Bryant of the Family Court of Australia.

Please feel free to pass this email onto colleagues and ensure they are on our email list for future updates and invitations.

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For more information contact us:

Women Lawyers Association of New South Wales Inc. Po Box R1120 NSW 1225
Ph: 0466 157 087 Fax: 1300 332 183
executive@womenlawyersnsw.org.au
https://womenlawyersnsw.org.au

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