NSW Regional Women Lawyers Lunch & Learn Webinar Series with Barbara-Rose Townsend & Michelle Meares

NSW Regional Women Lawyers Lunch & Learn Webinar Series – May Session

For women in law practising in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) areas, the challenges and opportunities often differ significantly from those faced in metropolitan centres.

The NSW Regional Women Lawyers webinar series is designed to keep you informed, engaged, and supported in all areas of your practice, with easily accessible lunch-and-learn sessions featuring women lawyers prominent in their fields.

Join us for our May session as we explore the unique challenges and opportunities of practising family law in rural and regional areas.

Challenges and opportunities in family law in rural and regional areas

In conversation: Barbara-Rose Townsend, Family Law Solicitor at Legal Aid NSW—who has worked in family law in both Newcastle and Broken Hill—joins Michelle Meares, Barrister at 2 Selborne Chambers, President of NSW Regional Women Lawyers, and former Principal of Family Law firm Meares Law on the Central Coast.

🗓 Thursday, 29 May 2025
🕐 1:00 – 2:00 PM AEST

What we’ll explore:

• Career paths in family law in rural and regional NSW
• Rewards and challenges for outback family lawyers
• New developments for family law practitioners across the State
  
  

Ticket Pricing (incl. GST):
NRWL Members: $33 | Non-Members: $55 | Students: $11
Plus booking fees.

If this webinar is relevant to your legal practice or professional development, you may record 1 CPD point.

A comprehensive lineup for 2025

Practising law in RRR areas often means wearing many hats and navigating unique challenges—from limited networking opportunities to diverse client needs and distinct legal landscapes. Women in these regions are often at the forefront of innovation and resilience, but professional isolation can be significant.

NRWL’s webinar series is here to bridge that gap, offering a space to:
• Learn from leading legal professionals who understand RRR contexts
• Gain practical insights to grow your practice and career
• Connect with a broader network of like-minded professionals facing similar challenges

We’ve curated a robust calendar of webinars for 2025, focusing on topics that matter most to lawyers in RRR areas.

June 2025 session

Broadening your wills and estates practice to become an elder lawyer – with Sue Field, Adjunct Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University with responsibility for teaching elder law and Director of the Australian Centre for Elder Law, in conversation with Kim Boettcher, Barrister at Frederick Jordan Chambers, former Solicitor at Seniors Rights Service, and Member of the NSW Bar Association’s Succession and Elder Law Committee (2021–2024).

Other upcoming sessions in 2025

Acting for victims of historical abuse in regional NSW – with Karen Stott, Principal at ADR and Mediation Services, in conversation with Margot Stubbs, former Magistrate and Barrister, now leading the institutional abuse practice at Catherine Henry Lawyers.

Conducting mediations in the country – with Karen Stott, Principal at ADR and Mediation Services, in conversation with Linda Crawford, Senior Associate and Health Lawyer at Catherine Henry Lawyers.

Missed a session?

You can access past sessions—highlighted below—on demand at: https://events.humanitix.com/webinar-recordings

‘Equal access to justice’: means what right now in regional, rural and remote areas?

Facilitated by Catherine Henry, Principal of Catherine Henry Lawyers featuring Gabrielle Chan, rural and regional editor at Guardian Australia, journalist, and author; Jamelle Wells, author, journalist with Australian Radio Network, and former ABC senior court reporter; Dr Helen McGowan (PhD), director of the Regional Voices Fund and contributor to Place of Practice: Lawyering in Rural and Regional Australia; and Judy Harrison, co-convenor of the National Regional, Rural, Remote and Very Remote Community Legal Network, lawyer, legal policy consultant, and academic.

Guiding your career planning and choices

Session 1: An A-Z of how to be a decision-maker – with Suzie Delbridge, Delbridge Forensic Accounting, Newcastle in conversation with Charlotte Egan, Principal, Booth Brown Legal, Dubbo.

Session 2: Career progression and support – with Rebecca Hegarty, Head of Corporate & Commercial, Bartier & Perry, President of Parramatta & District Regional Law Society in conversation with Jen Spear, Senior Associate Solicitor, Duffy Elliott Lawyers, Dubbo, President Orana Law Society and Vice-Chair of Bushweb, NSW Young Lawyers.

Stay up to date with NRWL

Be the first to hear about upcoming sessions: https://events.humanitix.com/host/nsw-regional-women-lawyers

Become an NRWL member and enjoy discounted rates for all webinars: https://events.humanitix.com/annual-membership-2024-2025?hxchl=hex-pfl

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