Working Groups
Groups of WLWA are the engine room where our projects take form. We have a number of working groups focussed on different areas and are continually seeking to add members.
Each year following the election of the WLWA committee, working groups are formed to help deliver the outcomes set by the committee for that year.
This year, the working groups are as follows. You can see the terms of reference for each working group by clicking on the names below:
Social & Networking working group
Women in the Profession working group
Law Reform and Social Justice (incorporating implementation of Gender Bias Taskforce Report) working group
Communications working group (incorporating website and membership initiatives)
Grants, Awards and Sponsorships working group
Membership Officer
Mentoring Officer
Rural, Regional and Remote Liaison Officer
Student Liaison Officer
AWL Representative – Charmaine Tsang
We are always open to members joining our working groups – please get in touch with the chairs or send us an email at enquiry@wlwa.asn.au.
Social & Networking Working Group
The Social & Networking Committee is responsible for developing and co-ordinating social and networking events for women lawyers and the wider legal profession. The committee also promote social events and run events jointly with other women professionals and networks where appropriate.
Networking is an important part of professional life; however, being able to get together and share experiences as women working in the legal profession is also important.
The committee endeavours to achieve its goals by arranging a range of events from formal events like the annual Honours Dinner to our casual monthly networking lunches.
The annual events which are run by the committee are:
- Honours Dinner which is a formal black tie dinner held in March to celebrate and honour the achievements of women lawyers each year for appointments and retirements to and from the judiciary and the appointment of senior counsel. The Women Lawyer awards are also awarded at the Honours Dinner.
- End of Financial Year drinks which is usually held in June/July.
- Meet the Judiciary is held usually in August/September which provides the opportunity for law students, law graduates and junior lawyers to meet with members of the judiciary (Supreme Court, Federal Court, Family Court, District Court and Magistrates Court).
- End of Year celebration which is usually held in November.
The Social & Networking committee has also organised joint events with the Law Society of WA, the Piddington Society, 100 Women, Women in Mining, the Australian Asian Lawyers Association and WISE (Women in Subsea Engineering).
Education & CPD Working Group
The Education & CPD Committee is responsible for developing and co-ordinating the CPD Programme for Women Lawyers Western Australia (Inc.) (WLWA). The committee also liaises with the Law Reform (Women’s Rights) & Social Justice working group to organise at least one CPD focusing on Women’s Rights and Social Justice issues.
WLWA endeavours to provide our members with engaging CPD opportunities throughout the year.
WLWA is an approved QA provider of CPD for the legal profession in Western Australia. WA lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points required each year by attending CPD events held by WLWA.
The annual events which are run by the committee are:
- A substantive law CPD which is usually held in the first half of the calendar year.
- A personal development CPD which is usually held mid-year.
- An all-day CPD event providing a total of 6 CPD points which is usually held on a Saturday in September/October.
- A CPD event immediately preceding our AGM on networking which is usually held in the last week of October.
The Education & CPD Committee has also organised joint events with the Law Society of WA, the Piddington Society and the Asian Australian Lawyers Association.
Communications Working Group
The Communications working group is the engine room of the organisation in terms of liaising with its members and the public and informing them of the activities of the organisation. Its role is to report the activities of the other working groups and keep members up to date with other news and items of interest that align with the objectives of WLWA. This includes maintaining the website, email service, and social media, as well as producing our own content.
It also includes initiatives to increase the membership of WLWA.
The group hopes to present a number of projects about the history of WLWA.
| Task | Person Responsible | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Maintain Website Copy to be accurate, current and reflective of WLWA | Chair | Updating web pages as required (eg new committee) and appropriately archiving outdated material |
| Produce E-news email | Chair, with information provided by committee and working group |
Once per month publish to members an email containing the following material:
|
| Email communication | As allocated by chair | Send newsflash or other brief notification emails on an adhoc basis to members or public |
| Membership Initiatives – Student and Grad liaison | Student and Grad liaison officer |
|
| Membership initiatives – general | As allocated by chair |
|
| Without Prejudice | Editor | Production of content on a monthly basis for the members only online blog including outreach to members and others to produce content for publication |
| Social Media | Social media officer |
Management of Facebook and LinkedIn accounts for WLWA including:
|
| History of women in the profession project | As allocated by chair | Creation and maintenance of dedicated timeline page on the website setting out contributions of women to the profession in WA |
Women in the Legal Profession Working Group
The purpose of the Women in the Legal Profession Working Group is to provide support services and practical assistance for women in the legal profession. The working group encourages the promotion and exchange of information relating to:
- flexible working practices;
- available support services;
- current issues facing women in the profession;
- networking opportunities with other women in the legal profession;
- available opportunities (including employment opportunities) for women in the legal profession particularly those seeking senior appointments and/or higher office.
The working group regularly seeks feedback (by way of surveys or other methods) from members of Women Lawyers of Western Australia (WLWA) as to the types of services they would like WLWA to offer and which would be of assistance and provide support in their daily practice. This ensures that any offerings are relevant and will meet the needs of members.
Each year, the working group will seek to identify a prominent or concerning issue or trend in the profession which requires attention and possible legislative amendment. Insight will be sought (either by way of survey or otherwise) as to the prevalence and extent of the issue and submissions made where appropriate.
The Women in the Legal Profession Working Group is focused on recognising and highlighting the outstanding achievements and careers (both past and present) of women in the Western Australian legal community.
The working group also seeks to arrange events which are tailored towards making a real contribution to the lives and support systems of working women, not just in the legal profession.