A new 30% gender target for briefing barristers has had widespread buy-in from some of the country’s largest law firms, as well as the in-house legal teams of Telstra, Woolworths and Westpac.
The target, put forward by the Law Council of Australia in its National Model Gender Equitable Briefing Policy, aims to significantly improve attention and retention of female barristers, who in NSW alone are outnumbered by men five to one. Covering interim and long-term targets, the policy aim is to see women briefed on at least 30% of all matters and paying 30% of the value of all briefing fees by the year 2020. The policy also aims to help close the gender pay gap, as well as the underrepresentation of women in superior courts.
The LCA has today announced the Policy has received a major boost with law firms to sign on including Baker & McKenzie, Allens, Henry Davis York, Herbert Smith Freehills, Ashurst, King & Wood Mallesons, Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison, Norton Rose Fulbright, Corrs Chambers Westgarth and DLA Piper.
These new signatories, along with the three major corporates, join existing organisations to sign on including individual legal practitioners, the Australian Bar Association, a number of Bars and Law Societies of Australia.
Incoming LCA president Fiona McLeod SC said the preparedness of the legal profession to adopt the policy shows a significant cultural shift in support of gender equality. “With this momentum, I am confident the National Equitable Briefing Policy will provide the incentive for long term change within Bars,” she said.
The Law Council says it will continue to promote the policy and seek the support of further signatories.
According to 2015 research by the NSW Bar Association women account for less just 20.95% of barristers, less than 10% of senior counsel members, less than a 24% of junior counsel.
