News Archive

The Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) congratulates the Victorian Government on the release of Victoria's Multicultural Policy Statement: Victorian. And proud of it. The Policy Statement is an encouraging demonstration of the Victorian Government's efforts to support cultural diversity and inclusion in Victoria.

The AALA is committed to promoting cultural diversity and welcomes continued engagement by the Government on this issue.

AALA members are warmly invited to attend the IPBA Annual Conference in Auckland from 6-9 April 2017.

Current indications are that the Auckland conference should attract more than 800 lawyers from around the world, who work in or have an interest in business law in the Asia-Pacific area.  This number is based on over 1100 registrants at the Hong Kong conference in 2015 and 975 in Kuala Lumpur in 2016, and the enthusiasm of attendees at the Kuala Lumpur conference for coming to New Zealand.   This will be one of the biggest international business law conferences ever held in New Zealand.

If you are interested in attending, please let us know by sending us an email at info@aala.org.au. If there is sufficient interest from AALA members, members may be entitled to a discount on the standard conference fee.

For more info about the conference, please click here.

Looking for last-minute CPD points? The Asian Australian Lawyers Association will be holding a free knowledge session on Thursday 23 March 2017 at the Queensland Law Society House on how to grow your professional presence on LinkedIn and Twitter. This session is open to all lawyers and law students.

The session will cover:

• Legal issues
  what to be aware of

• LinkedIn
  what you can be doing to up your LinkedIn game

• Twitter
  deep dive + practical component

Date	Thursday 23 March 2017
Time	5.30pm: drinks and nibbles
	6.00pm: knowledge session
Venue	Queensland Law Society
	179 Ann Street
	Brisbane Qld 4000

To register for the event, please click here. We hope you can join us.

Please contact info@aala.org.au or tweet at @OrgAALA for more information.

Dear Members,

The UNSW Law Society will be hosting a panel discussion on "Smashing the Bamboo Ceiling" on 20 March 2017. Kingsley Liu, President of the AALA NSW branch, will be one of the panellists.

This event is not organised by the AALA, however AALA members are warmly invited to attend.

For more details and to register for the event, please click here.

The AALA congratulates Raj Malhotra on his appointment to the Magistrates Court of Victoria.

A study by the AALA in 2015 found that Asian Australians only accounted for around 0.8% of the judiciary, despite accounting for around 9.6% of Australia's population. The AALA supports a culturally diverse judiciary and legal profession which is reflective of our community.

To view the official media release for the appointment, please click here.

NPR has recently published an article on unconscious bias in Canada. The article quotes a study which found that job applicants with Asian names were 28% less likely to be called for an interview.

A similar study conducted by the Australian National University in 2010 found that in Australia, a person with a Chinese name needed to submit 68 per cent more applications to obtain the same number of interviews as a person with an Anglo-Saxon name.

To read the article on NPR's website, please click here.

The Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) and Muslim Legal Network (MLN) are proud to present an evening with Her Honour Magistrate Urfa Masood, Victoria's first female Muslim Magistrate, at 6.00pm on 1 March 2017, at Baker & McKenzie, Level 19, 181 William Street, Melbourne.

Join us as we celebrate Her Honour's first year on the bench, and as she shares her experiences and reflections on her journey and appointment to the Court.

The evening is free for AALA and MLN members, however registrations are essential. Non-members can purchase their tickets through the AALA website.

The AALA and MLN are committed to advancing cultural diversity in the legal profession. This is an excellent opportunity to meet, network and engage in this important issue with friends and colleagues.

Register

Event sponsor:

Dear Members, 

On 28 February 2017 the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators will be hosting conversation and Q & A between several of Australia's leading arbitrators and arbitration practioners, featuring Dr Michael Pryles AO PBM, international arbitrator and in conversation with leading arbitration practitioners, Bronwyn Lincoln and Andrew Stephenson. The participants will be introduced by John Arthur, CIArb Australia Victorian State Convenor and Councillor.

This event is not organised by the AALA, but AALA members are warmly invited to attend.

Date: Tuesday, 28 February, 2017

Time: 5.30 pm - 7.00 pm (proceedings will commence 5.45 pm sharp)

Venue: Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Level 25, 567 Collins Street,
Melbourne VIC 3000

RSVP: By no later than Friday, 24 February 2017

For more information and registration details, please click here.

The Asian Australian Lawyers Association congratulates William Lye OAM, one of the AALA’s founding members and the current National Vice President, on being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2017.  William was awarded this highly regarded award for his service to the law, to business and to the promotion of cultural diversity.

William joins a number of legal luminaries to have received awards on Australia Day, including High Court judge Stephen Gageler AC and Victorian Governor Linda Dessau AC.

We are very proud of this achievement and the recognition of William’s continuing service to the law and the promotion of cultural diversity.

Congratulations!

Dear Members,

Join us as we celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Rooster! All NSW members of the AALA are invited to attend.

The theme of this year's dinner is "What our members want for 2017". In addition to our celebrations, the NSW Branch committee will be present to discuss and take questions about the AALA's plans for 2017.

Time: 6:30pm, 11 February 2017

Location: Marigold Restaurant (upstairs), 683-689 George St, Haymarket NSW 2000

Cost: $40 per head.

There is a limit of 60 person (5 tables), so registration is essential.

To register, please click here.