Excellence in Law finalists announced

The finalists in the Queensland Law Society 2025 Excellence in Law Awards have been announced today.

The winners will be named at the Excellence in Law Awards Gala on 9 August at Brisbane City Hall, and tickets are now available.

The event will be hosted by performer, writer and lawyer Corinne Grant, who completed a Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne in 2015.

She now practises as an employment lawyer at the Working Women’s Centre.

The finalists for 2025 are:

Access to Justice Award (sponsored by Bond University Faculty of Law)

• Sarah Galvin, Southern Beaches Family Law
• Amber Buckland, Legal Aid Queensland
• Jason Murakami, Behlau Murakami Grant ILP
• Karen Williams, Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia
• Matilda Alexander, LGBTI Legal Service
• Nadia Bromley, Women’s Legal Service Queensland.

Agnes McWhinney Award

• Katie Richards, Virtual Legal, Law On Earth & Thought Cave
• Kylie Devney, V.A.J. Byrne & Co. Lawyers
• Melissa Meyers, Maurice Blackburn
• Pippa Colman, Pippa Colman Family Law
• Whitley Foreman, Holman Webb Lawyers Brisbane.

Emerging Leader Award (sponsored by Legal Home Loans)

• Ariana Harradine-Noble, LadyBird Conveyancing
• Bronte Crowley, Kro Family Law Centre Townsville and BMC Mediations
• Claire McGee, Gilshenan & Luton Legal Practice
• Niki Schomberg, Lander & Rogers
• Taylah Cook, Legal Aid Queensland – Cairns office.

First Nations Student Award

• Christine Conn, Queensland University of Technology
• Lilly Graham, University of Southern Queensland
• Matthew Bonato, James Cook University
• Matthew Bowman, Griffith University
• Rikisha Phineasa, James Cook University
• Simone Price, Queensland University of Technology.

Graduate Lawyer of the Year (sponsored by College of Law)

• Briahna Connolly, Queensland Corrective Services
• Hannah Bobby, HLS Tax Law
• Nadine Hay, V.A.J. Byrne & Co Lawyers
• Natalia Hutchison, Best Wilson Buckley Family Lawyers
• Rachel Elaurant, Barton family lawyers
• Shelly Brown, Catton & Tondelstrand Lawyers.

In-House Counsel of the Year 

• Cara Black, Emerald Clinical Group
• Dylan Moller, Stryker South Pacific
• Joshua Caeiro, Rio Tinto
• Michelle Denning, Energy Queensland Limited.

Pro Bono Team of the Year (sponsored by legalsuper)

• DWF Australia Pro Bono team
• Evans Brandon Family Lawyers
• Gilshenan & Luton
• LGBTI Legal Service
• McCullough Robertson Lawyers.

Queensland Solicitor of the Year – Sole Practitioner 

• Amanda Skene, Skene Lawyers
• Ariana Harradine-Noble, LadyBird Conveyancing
• Cameron Niven, Soldier’s Legal Counsel
• Ismail Rasheed , IR Legal
• Robert Grant, Grant & Associate Family Lawyers
• Sarah Galvin, Southern Beaches Family Law.

Queensland Solicitor of the Year – Small Firm 2-19 PCS (sponsored by Westpac)

• Belinda Kochanowska, Intrepidus Law
• Chelsea Baker, Cornford-Scott Lawyers
• Jacob Corbett, Bradley & Bray Lawyers
• Jaimee-Lee Jessop, Gilshenan & Luton Legal Practice
• John Gallagher, Argon Law
• Katie Richards, Virtual Legal.

Queensland Solicitor of the Year – Large Firm 20+ PCS (sponsored by First Title)

• Anthony Conaghan, Thomson Geer
• Crispian Carlowe, Unified Lawyers
• Danielle Gill, Taylor Rose Australia
• Jonathan Walsh, Maurice Blackburn
• Klaire Coles, Caxton Legal Centre
• Sarah Roettgers, Hamilton Locke.

Regional Practitioner of the Year Award (sponsored by PEXA)

• Kylie Devney, V.A.J. Byrne & Co. Lawyers
• Jacob Corbett, Bradley & Bray Lawyers
• Helen Armitage, Legal Aid Queensland, Townsville Office
• Diane Ruhl, Ruhl Family Law
• John Gallagher, Argon Law
• Cliff Kroesen, Kroesen & Co Lawyers.

Pride in Law Award

• Denise Maxwell, Hensen Maxwell Solicitors
• Jessica Cunning, Titles Queensland
• Patrick MacDonald, Murphy’s Law.