NSW Regional Women Lawyers Annual Membership 2024-2025

Join or renew your membership to NSW Regional Women Lawyers.

Membership fees are $55 inc GST for lawyers/barristers/judiciary/academic and $22 inc GST for concession/student/unemployed. 

NSW Regional Women Lawyers has only been in existence for just over a year and in that time with your support, we have achieved the following:

EVENTS

Welcomed more than 250 attendees to our events to showcase the talent of women working in the law in rural and regional New South Wales and provide our members with valuable and relevant continuing education and networking opportunities.

1. Launch Event at Newcastle University with keynote speakers Professor Trish Mundy and Dr Natasha Cicca in February 2023.
2. Inaugural Conference in Orange opened by Fiona McLeod SC held in March 2024 with speakers presenting on – Running a regional practice; Professional development and growth – leadership and capacity training; Mentoring young lawyers and those re-entering the profession developing new areas of practice; Marketing and business development strategies; Current challenges for regional family law practitioners and Taking the leap to the bar for regional women barristers.
3. Conference held in Port Macquarie in September 2023 with keynote speaker Senior Judicial Registrar from the Lismore Registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and panel discussions on- How women in the regions can achieve the same benefits and opportunities as their city colleagues when working in the law; Progressing in leadership – What will I do to lift myself? What will I do to lift other women?; Community Lawyering in regional New South Wales – Community Legal Centres, Legal Aid and the Aboriginal Legal Service; Becoming a Partner for Regional Women Lawyers; Running your own law firm in Regional NSW and Career pathways – from the bar and bench for regional women lawyers.
4. End of Year Dinner held in Newcastle with special guest Professor Belinda Bennett, the new Head of School and Dean of the University of Newcastle School of Law & Justice.
5. Conference held in Armidale in March 2024 including keynote speaker Federal Circuit and Family Court Judge Jane Costigan and District Court Judge Robyn Tupman. Speakers discussed - Transforming sexual harassment culture in rural and regional areas; Climate Change litigation and careers in environmental law; Multi-party disputes in Building and Construction Law and the Design and Building Practitioners Act; Costs Assessments – what, when, why, how?; Blockchain in rural and regional legal practice; Financials of running a regional law firm; Recruitment and retention of lawyers in rural and regional legal practice.

Thank you to all the speakers who volunteered their time and to our sponsors in our first year who have made these events possible – BCU Bank, Port Macquarie Council, Catherine Henry Lawyers, E-Conveyancing NSW, Moin Morris Schaefer, University of New England, Charles Sturt University and University of Newcastle.

We are currently planning our next conference to be held in Dubbo on Friday 19 September 2025 – save the date. Sponsorship opportunities available – check our sponsorship page for details here https://nrwl.org.au/sponsorship-support-our-work/

MEDIA

NSW Regional Women Lawyers has featured in the Media including:

Armidale Express, NBN News, Channel 7 News, ABC Radio, Newcastle Weekly, Hunter Headline, Lawyers Weekly, Central Coast Community News and more.

LOOKING FORWARD

Thank you for supporting us in 2023/2024 and we hope you will join us as we work in 2024/2025 to achieving our strategic goals. Read our strategic plan here.

We appreciate our hard working past and present committee members – Jennifer Spear, Bronwyn Ambrogetti, Nicole Armitage, Catherine Henry, Rebecca Hegarty, Charlotte Egan, Alana Carter, Linda Crawford,  Lisa Coates, Professor Trish Mundy, Heather McKinnon and Ghania Dib  for all their contributions in our first year.

Michelle Meares - President

NSW Regional Women Lawyers ABN 62 877 235 018

Visit our Website 
Email us at secretary@nrwl.org.au