Dear Members & Colleagues

It has certainly continued to be a focus on diversity following the huge success of our 2011 Women Lawyers Achievement Awards which included some reflective speeches from our guest speaker , The Hon Justice Margaret Beazley AO and Lifetime Achievement Awards recipient, The Hon Elizabeth Evatt AC, as reported by Lawyers Weekly

On 6 October 2011 we saw the release of the Reiby Institutes 2nd Women Leader’s Report as noted below, followed on 12 October 2011 by the CEO of Westpac, Gail Kelly, “throwing down the gauntlet to rival banks, saying she wants half of all the bank's senior management positions to be filled by women within six years.”, as reported by the SMH.

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate The Hon Christine Adamson on her appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of NSW, the 11th women to be appointed out of the 52 judges on the Supreme Court.

We are also delighted to support the upcoming conference in Sydney ‘Bringing together female and male perspectives for workplace equality’ on 31 January 2012 , The Sebel Surry Hills, Sydney as detailed below. WLANSW Members are eligible for a discount as noted when booking for this one-day connected forum.

Please visit our 2011 Event Schedule to view details of other upcoming events such as The Janet Coombs Lunch for New Female Barristers, Friday 21 October, also detailed below.

Shortly our solicitor members will receive their ballot papers for the annual Law Society Council elections. I encourage all solicitor members to vote and support our WLANSW member candidates who are profiled below.

Kind regards,

Rebecca Barry
President

18 October 2011

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

21 October, Friday 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

Meet the New Women at the Bar
The Janet Coombs Lunch for New Female Barristers

Please join us and distinguished guests for our biannual lunch. No charge; non-reader attendees pay for own lunch.

Please register your attendance to ensure adequate seating and prompt service. executive@womenlawyersnsw.org.au

LAW SOCIETY OF NSW 2010 COUNCIL ELECTIONS - Please support our WLANSW member candidates.

	Elizabeth Espinosa I am a corporate lawyer running for election to the Law Society Council and seek your support. I have practised in-house for over eight years, having previously worked in private practice for six. Like most of us, I work hard to balance family and work priorities. I serve on my Regional Law Society Committee, having previously served as Regional President and as a Regional Young Lawyer Representative. I believe strongly in supporting colleagues at all levels within the law to achieve a successful and rewarding career, through mentoring, exploring the diversity of legal roles and adopting strategies to achieve balance. For more information go to www.councilelections.com.au
	Ros Everett Equality in the profession. We have achieved much but still have a LONG way to go. As Treasurer of the Law Society and Mary as past president we have two women in the Executive for the first time ever. If re-elected, hopefully I will progress to the presidency and be one of very few women presidents! I have enjoyed participating in “Advancement of Women” series, Women Lawyer Awards and Young Lawyers Mid-Year Assembly. I am proud of our intelligent, dedicated and hard working women lawyers. Women lawyers should not have to chose between a career and a personal life. Ros Everett , Everett Evans Solicitors Phone: 02 47 21 7333 E: everettpaull@bigpond.com
	Mary Macken (Past President) Having worked in a large; medium and small firm, I know the rigours of earning a living as a solicitor. I will: Promote the capability and integrity of the profession Advance career pathways for solicitors Ensure the preservation of legal work for lawyers including in the National Electronic Conveyancing Scheme. Encourage international networks between legal associations and individuals for the collegiality and creativity that such encounters foster in our profession Demonstrate that lawyers are leaders to whom government should look Promote the values I believe in, namely collegiality, equity and fair play
	Pamela Suttor: L Rundle & Co The numbers of women practitioners have grown exponentially since my admission with three other women but we have not yet achieved true equality of opportunity and remuneration for women. I want to ensure that women are entitled to practise in a manner suitable to their personal needs and talents whether part or full time, in government, corporate or private practice. As a Councillor and Chair of the Wills & Estates Committee and member of other committees, I have tried to provide leadership to the profession . If reelected I will continue to bring all my experience, drive and enthusiasm to the Law Society Council
	Penny Waters Law Society Councillor. Sole Practitioner – Penny Waters Armstrong Legal, Armidale, practicing throughout New England, Northern and Western NSW. Member of Ethics Committee since 2003, Member Fidelity Fund Committee and Chair Rural Issues. Accredited Specialist. President Regional North and Northwest Law Society. Member of UNE Board of Studies. My interest and commitment is to continue to positively promote country practitioners and the whole profession, ethical practice, the preservation of legal work, encourage and support young lawyers, career flexibility and work/lifestyle balance. I am hard working and enthusiastic in these endeavours. Ph: 6771 3344 pwaters@pwalegal.com.au

ASX500 companies with women directors deliver higher returns to shareholders

The Reiby Institute has delivered its 2011 research report which for the second year running shows a correlation between numbers of women on boards and higher returns on equity (RoE). Please visit : http://www.reibeyinstitute.org.au/ for the full report and further information.

Key findings

• Over three and five year periods, ASX500 companies with women directors delivered significantly higher return on equity (ROE) than those companies without any women on their boards.
  • 6.7 per cent higher over a three year period.
  • 8.7 per cent higher over a five year period.
• The highest number of women on an ASX500 board is four.
• 267 companies, 47 per cent, or ASX500 companies have no female board representation, compared with almost 66 per cent last year.
• The average board has 6.2 people.

The National Council of Women NSW is holding a Special Meeting at Parliament House Sydney, in the Theaterette, to hear from the Hon Shane Stone, AC, QC and National President of The Order of Australia Association about how to apply for Australian Awards and Honours, as a strategy to redress women's under-representation in the Australian honours system. Please click here for further details and register your attendance.

Please find attached an invitation to the Clare Burton Memorial Lecture to be held in the UTS Chancellery, Thursday 27 October, 5.30-7.30pm. We hope you will be able to attend. Please note that places are limited and Dr Cordelia Fine will be a popular drawcard so an early RSVP would be advised.

Enquiries: Dinah Cohen Dinah.cohen@uts.edu.au or 9514 7612.

The first and only conference in Australia with men also championing the cause of gender equality in the workplace

Bringing together female and male perspectives for workplace equality within your firm
Collaborative change to build a better workplace
One-day forum : 31 January 2012, The Sebel Surry Hills, Sydney
Download Brochure or click here to view and register online
Please note WLANSW Members are eligible for a $300 discount.

The workplace is ever evolving, responding to the changing needs of employees whilst maintaining organisational and business objectives. Considerable progress has been made towards creating a fair and equitable workplace for both women and men, and women increasingly have better access to higher level positions and flexible work arrangements. There are, however, still a number of challenges faced by both women and men in trying to build a better workplace, such as ingrained cultural attitudes and communication problems.

There is an increasing need for women and men to work together and engage with each other to achieve greater success and enjoy the shared rewards of a better workplace. Together, female and male employees can promote cultural change, improve communication, initiate equity strategies and develop flexible work practices.

At this forum, delegates will gain practical knowledge from international and local companies on topics such as:

• Promoting better collaboration between women and men
• Introducing equity initiatives and measuring their success
• Proving the value of flexible work practices
• Overcoming unconscious biases and negative attitudes