Regional lawyers feature strongly as finalists in QLS Excellence Awards

From Cairns to Toowoomba, regional practitioners are well-represented as finalists in this year’s Queensland Law Society Excellence in Law Awards.

Winners in 11 categories will be announced at the 2026 gala at The Star Brisbane, on 22 August when QLS shines a light on outstanding solicitors, teams and firms who are contributing to the profession and showcasing ingenuity.

Almost a quarter of all finalists come from regional areas of Queensland including Toowoomba’s Megan Inglis.

The CEO at Tasc Community Legal Centre is a finalist in the Access to Justice Award. She said winning the award would mean greater exposure for Tasc and the community legal centre community.

“As a CLC, we are often so busy doing the work we are passionate about, we often don’t make time to ensure that others know about the essential services we offer, and the ways we can help both individuals and communities improve access to justice,” Ms Inglis said.

Further north, Principal Solicitor at Marrawah Law and Advisory Nicole Cameron has been named as a finalist for the Agnes McWhinney Award. Ms Cameron is the founder and principal of the indigenous firm in Edge Hill, Cairns.

She said winning the award would affirm the importance of inclusivity and equity in the profession and communities.

“As a Trawlwoolway (Palawa) woman, it would affirm the importance of culturally informed leadership and the value of Indigenous perspectives in law, governance, and policy,” Ms Cameron said.

Another Cairns practitioner Kirstiana Ward, who is Managing Lawyer at the Environmental Defenders Office, is a finalist in the Regional Practitioner of the Year Award.

Based in North Cairns, she knows the challenges that living in the Far North bring, like losing the roof off her house in a cyclone, and also the rewards of working with First Nations communities.

“Winning this award would be both humbling and deeply meaningful. It would recognise not only my work, but also the communities, traditional owners, colleagues and mentors who have trusted me to walk alongside them in pursuing environmental and human rights justice outcomes,” she said.

“My career has been spent working in regional and remote Queensland, where public interest legal work often occurs quietly behind the scenes.

“This award would acknowledge the importance of community legal centres and demonstrate that public interest regional lawyers can influence state, national and international conversations and legal reforms while remaining grounded in the communities they serve.”

Another finalist in this category is Peter Hans Apel, Director of Northpoint Law in Mareeba. He has worked in regional communities for more than 30 years, supporting the Far North’s agricultural and business sectors.

“True personal success as a lawyer is earning and achieving the respect and trust of your peers,” he said. “To win this award would mean an enormous amount to me as it would show I had earned that respect.”

Registrations for the QLS Excellence in Law Awards Gala close at 5pm on Friday, 14 August, unless sold out prior.