News Archive

One in 10 Australians are from an Asian background, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in senior leadership roles in the business sector, making up only one in every 50 executive managers.

The five-part conversation series hopes to tackle this disparity by encouraging Asian Australians to reach for leadership positions and to start the conversation in Australia’s business community about the importance of promoting talented people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

The third Asian Australian Leadership Conversation will be held in Melbourne on Thursday 25th August and the topic for discussion is, ‘International perspectives on cultural diversity’. Join the AALA, DAWN, Westpac and our guest panelists as we explore the issue of cultural diversity in a global context.

Panelists:

Thursday, 25 August
6.30 - 8.30pm

Venue
Westpac
Level 12, 150 Collins Street
Melbourne

Register

The Victorian Government has recently announced the establishment of a new Multicultural and Social Cohesion Division, which brings together the Community Resilience Unit, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, and the Office of Victorian Multicultural Commission. 

The AALA welcomes efforts from the Victorian Government to promote multicultural and social cohesion in the community. 

For more information, please click here to be directed to the media release on the Victorian Government's website. 

The Asian Australian Foundation has recently made a grant to Western Chances.

The impact of the Asian Australian Foundation's generous grant to Western Chances will be significant in transforming the lives of around five talented and motivated young people facing financial barriers to completing their education.

Financial hardship is a significant barrier to education. Low income families struggle to afford the costs to enable their children to participate fully in secondary education or tertiary studies.

It can cost more than $5,000 to put a child through their first year of a government high school in Melbourne.

These young people supported by the Asian Australian Foundation will be awarded merit based, tailor made scholarships to purchase essential items not provided by schools, including text books, MYKI, laptops, internet and specialist lessons.

Recipients will have the life changing opportunity to remain in education, go on to further education, training and employment and fulfil their potential.

Receiving a Western Chances scholarship provides recipients with belief from an external organisation, and belief from Western Chances's committed donors like the Asian Australian Foundation, that they have potential and are recognised and acknowledged for their talent and motivation.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/westernchances/

On 20 July 2016, The Honourable Associate Justice Ierodiaconou spoke at the Deakin Law School Alumni Professional Development Event on Health and Wellbeing in the Legal profession. Her Honour's speech mentioned the AALA's works and how she enjoyed the discussions about diversity at AALA events. 

To read the full speech, please click here. 

Dear Members, 

On 4 October 2016, the FALS is holding an seminar with a focus on Australian and European Refugee Laws. The event is co-organized and sponsored by Deakin Law School.

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

The two presenters are Julian Burnside AO QC a Barrister and Dr Maria O Sullivan, Lecturer at Monash University.

This event will be held on 4 October 2016 at 5.30 pm (for a 6pm start) at Deakin's Melbourne City Centre, 555 Bourke Street, Melbourne. 

For more information and registration details, please click here. 

Dear Members, 

Please see below event invitation from the French Australian Lawyers Society. 

Commemorative Evensong to remember the Victims of Nice, Ankara and Istanbul

I would be very pleased if you, or a representative, were able to join us for a Commemorative Evensong on Thursday, 21 July, at 5.10pm at St Paul's Cathedral, to remember those who perished this weekend in Nice, Ankara and Istanbul,and to pray for peace in our world.

During our service, members of the Consular Corps will be lighting candles as a sign of hope. We will be praying for those who mourn loved ones, for the injured and distressed, and for all those committed to the work of peace.

Please would you let our Cathedral Secretary, Hannah Hornsby (hhornsby@stpaulscathedral.org.au) know should you be able to join us. 

SBS Radio has recently interviewed AALA committee members Reynah Tang, Kerry Truong, and Daniel Nguyen on the association's activities and efforts in promoting cultural diversity in the law. 

To listen to the interview in Cantonese, please click here. 

Dear Members, 

The Asian Australian Lawyers Association and the Womens Lawyers Association of NSW (WLANSW) is pleased to announce its first jointly hosted event, "Where the Glass and Bamboo Ceilings Meet in the Australian Legal Profession". 

This event will be hosted by Bartier Perry with guest speaker and expert on unconscious bias, Heather Price of Symmetra. 

Time: 5.30-7.30pm 

Date: Thursday 11th August 2016

Location: Bartier Perry, Level 10, 77 Castlereagh Street, Sydney

For more information, please click here to view the event flyer. To register, please click here to visit the event page. 

Dear Members, 

On Wednesday 20 July 2016 the LIV will be holding an Insight breakfast on the topic Brave New World of Law - Turn disruption into profit.

The event will focus on disruption, innovation and new business models and will provide some of answers to questions including:

• How has customer demand impacted the new direction of legal practice?
  
• How do digital platforms enable greater efficiency, return on investment and global market access?
  
• What makes a 'legal entrepreneur' and how can higher education help you become one?
  
• What does flexible work look like and how is it a competitive advantage?
  
• What goes along with being an innovative lawyer, and how can it help bring more business to your firm?
  

Date: Wednesday, 20 July 2016

Time: 7:00am - 9:30am

Location: RACV City Club, 501 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Registrations by 15 July to register@liv.asn.au

For more information and registration details, please click here. 

Dear Members, 

You are warmly invited to join the Victorian Women Lawyers Cultural Diversity Committee for a panel discussion on how to support women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities who are facing family violence.

The panel will discuss the services available to CALD women and barriers to service and justice. This event seeks to educate legal practitioners about how to provide culturally sensitive legal advice in the family violence context.

The panel will consist of:

Magistrate Noreen Toohey, Magistrates' Court of Victoria

Jane Penberthy, Lawyer, InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence

Jennifer Dawson, Psychologist, InTouch

Adisa Muminovic, Court Support Worker, InTouch

Cost: Free for VWL members, $10 for non-members

For more information and registration details, please visit the Facebook page or view the event flyer.