AALA is proud to present the fifth National Summit, which will be held on 9 and 10 October 2026.
The theme for this year's Summit is "Power, Policy and People: Asian Australia in Full Voice". With multiculturalism facing renewed pushback at home and abroad, it has never been more important for Asian-Australians to be heard where decisions are made, to shape the policies that affect our communities and to look after the wellbeing of the people at the heart of our profession.
The Summit will open with remarks from NSW AALA President Michael Tangonan and a keynote address from Edmond Park, Partner at Ashurst Perkins Coie. It will then feature two online webinar panel sessions, followed by closing remarks from AALA National President Belinda Wong.
About the Summit
The Summit brings together leading practitioners and community leaders from around Australia, providing a forum for thought leadership, critical examination and discussion of issues relating to cultural diversity and the law.
It is open to the entire community and gives everyone, including practitioners, policymakers and students, a chance to both listen to and take part in the conversation. The purpose of the Summit is to promote and advocate for intersectional diversity and equal access to justice, as well as providing an opportunity for attendees to expand their networks.
This year's Summit opens with an in-person networking night in Sydney, generously hosted by Ashurst Perkins Coie, with the keynote address live-streamed nationally. The conversation then continues online on Saturday afternoon, so you can join from anywhere in Australia.
Details
DAY ONE: Friday, 9 October 2026 (in person in Sydney, with live-streamed keynote)
Location: In person at Ashurst Perkins Coie Sydney (Level 8, 39 Martin Place, Sydney). Drinks and light refreshments will be provided.
Time: 6:30pm to 8pm AEDT
Online: Livestreamed Keynote Speech, with the dial-in link here:
Opening Night and Keynote Speech@Ashurst Perkins Coie | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Price: Free (registration required)
DAY TWO: Saturday 10 October 2026 (online only)
Location: Online
Session 1 Webinar - dial-in link here:
Session 1: A Monocultural Australia? Politics, Identity and the Evolving Role of Asian-Australian Lawyers | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Time: 1pm to 2:30pm AEDT
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Session 2 Webinar - dial-in link here:
Beyond the Bamboo Ceiling: Rethinking Asian Culture in Careers and Wellbeing. | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Time: 2:30pm to 4pm AEDT
Price: Free (registration required)
Run sheet, sessions, and speakers
The final run sheet is as follows:
Sponsors
AALA is proudly sponsored by:
- Ashurst Perkins Coie and Maddocks as platinum sponsors;
- Clayton Utz, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Align Finance, Hall & Wilcox, and the Victorian Bar as gold sponsors; and
- Gilchrist Connell and the Australian National University as corporate sponsors.
