Events

WLAQ celebrates its high achievers

3 October 2023

The Women Lawyers Association of Queensland (WLAQ) has announced the finalists for its 45^th Annual Awards.

Leneen Forde AC Woman Lawyer of the Year:

Kara Thomson | Consultant, Hughes & Lewis Legal
Michelle James | Principal, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
Olamide Kowalik | Special Counsel, Revolution Law

Regional Woman Lawyer of the Year:

Jerry Tucker | Special Counsel, Bottoms English Lawyers
Sheetal Deo | Principal, Shakti Legal Solutions
Stephanie Williams | Barrister-at-Law

Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year:

Amy Parry | Senior Associate, Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Danielle Bunning | Solicitor, Boudicca Lawyers
Eloise Dalton | Senior Solicitor, Working Women Queensland
Hannah McNeale | Senior Legal Officer, ODPP, Cairns

Winners will be announced at the awards dinner at Victoria Park, Brisbane, on Saturday, 14 October. Ticket sales close on 6 October. For information and tickets, visit the WLAQ event page.

Also, WLAQ members gathered for their monthly Breakfast Club in Brisbane last week, where Maurice Blackburn lawyers Jessica Heron and Mackenzie Wakefield spoke of their involvement in a national campaign by unions for menstrual and menopause leave.

Jessica and Mackenzie said existing leave provisions under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) did not allow women to take such personal leave, and argued women should be given at least 12 extra days leave a year, or one day per month.

They told the gathering at Sage on Ann café that the additional leave was crucial to address gender inequality in Australian workplaces.