

PUBLICATIONS

NATIONAL CULTURAL DIVERSITY REPORT 2015
On 14 April 2015, the AALA launched its report on cultural diversity within the legal profession.
Previously, the existence of a “bamboo ceiling” in the legal profession has only been supported by anecdotal evidence. The AALA Cultural Diversity Analysis is the first research project of its kind in Australia which specifically addresses the gap in statistics on the level Asian Australian representation in the senior ranks of the legal profession – from solicitors, to barristers and the judiciary.
Our infographic shows a summary of the report’s key findings.Obtain a full copy of the report and view the infographic below.
FOREIGN QUALIFIED LAWYERS SUBCOMMITTEE, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) GUIDE - JULY 2021
The Foreign Qualified Lawyers Subcommittee was established in 2020 by foreign qualified lawyers, for foreign qualified lawyers.
Due to high demand, the FQL Subcommittee have come together to publish a Frequently Asked Questions Guide (FAQ Guide). The FAQ Guide is current as of July 2021 and is intended to provide a brief introduction to qualification in Australia. The FAQ Guide continues to be developed and the FQL Subcommittee welcome your feedback.
To contact the FQL Subcommittee, email Kripi Bhatt (Chair, FQL Subcommittee) at nsw@aala.org.au

SUPERDIVERSITY INSTITUTE REPORT (2019)
The AALA inaugural National Cultural Diversity Summit in 2020 welcomed Mai Chen, Chair of the Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy and Business. Based in New Zealand, Chen's advocacy and research explores the issues and barriers that CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) parties encounter in litigation and court systems. The Report provides an indepth insight into the impact that culture, language and the rule of law have on CALD parties and the premise of equal access to justice. After survey and responses across the industry, the report makes 43 wide-ranging recommendations for Judges, interpreters, Ministry of Justice, legal practitioners, investigators and educational providers.


TO AUS, WITH LAW
FOREIGN QUALIFIED LAWYERS NEWSLETTER
Launched in 2022, get to know your fellow foreign qualified colleagues and learn their stories and tips!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH AALA AND SHARE YOUR STORY? CONTACT US AT
MEMBERSHIP@AALA.ORG.AU

NSW CULTURAL DIVERSITY REPORT 2022
The Data and Policy Subcommittee of the NSW Branch is working together with the Women Lawyers' Association to deliver a special joint Report identifying barriers to career progression faced by culturally diverse solicitors.
The Report findings will be based on two sets of data:
SURVEY
An online Survey opened to all NSW solicitors. This Survey will collect quantitative data and will ask participants to share any qualitative experiences they may have. The Survey is completely anonymous and confidential. The Survey has been extended and will close on 1 July 2022.
FOCUS GROUP
4+ PQE solicitors who identify as culturally diverse, are invited to participate in a Focus Group. The Focus Group will be hosted by a neutral facilitator and the discussion will be guided on the results of the Survey while also providing participants with the opportunity to share their stories and opinions about barriers they have faced to their own career progression.
Date: Thursday, 7 July 2022
Time: 12noon - 2:00pm
Venue: King & Wood Mallesons, Sydney
REGISTRATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FOCUS GROUP IS OPEN
**If you would like to participate in the Focus Group, email us at aalanswsurvey@outlook.com
All data is confidential and will be collected and owned by AALA. We are proud of this project and are grateful for the support of the Women Lawyers' Association as supporting organisation, and King & Wood Mallesons. To fix an issue, we must first understand what the issue is. This is the objective of the NSW Cultural Diversity 2022 Report.
The Report and an event to mark the publication of the Report will be hosted at a date to be confirmed in late 2022.
We ask that all firms in NSW circulate the Survey to their practitioners to complete and that all practitioners consider participating in the Focus Group. We are in this together.
**Please do not use this email to ask questions or provide comments about the survey. Survey data is collected on an anonymous basis.