News Archive

The LIV Journal has recently published an article by Barton Wu on the importance of a diverse legal profession in a multicultural society. To read the article on the LIV's website, please click here.

Barton is an LIV legal policy lawyer and member of the AALA executive committee.

Dear Members, 

The Muslim Legal Network invites you to the inaugural Legal Profession Iftar Dinner. The keynote speaker for the night will be His Honour the Chief Magistrate of Victoria Peter Lauritsen, and the guest speaker will be Her Honour Magistrate Urfa Masood, who is the first Muslim Magistrate in Victoria.

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

For more information, about the event, please click here. 

Growing up in difficult family circumstances, Vincent Shin has beaten all odds to graduate with honours from his law degree and become Australia’s first ever in-house school lawyer. Vincent’s is an incredible story of triumph over the adversity that so many migrant families and their children have come to experience in Australia.

The AALA is proud to present a screening of Vincent's short biographical documentary. You will also get the chance to hear directly from Vincent himself about his fascinating story and work.

What:Vincent Shin – My Story
When:Tuesday, 21 June 2016
5.30pm
Where:Baker & McKenzie
Level 19, 181 William St
Melbourne

Drinks and canapés to be served.

Event sponsor:

The AALA would like to thank Baker & McKenzie for their very generous support of the event.

Register

Lawyers Weekly has recently recently published an article on the dangers of cultural and racial stereotyping, following the AALA's inaugural William Lee Address panel discussion earlier this week. 

To read the full article, please click here. 

Asian Australian Alliance (AAA) is organising its Inaugural Conference titled and themed:

Race, Identity, Advocacy - Where do Asian Australians belong?

This will be a structured panel style conference which will address this problem. Where mainstream society has accepted the "bamboo ceiling" as a major barrier, this conference will look at the "bamboo ceiling" in the context of the following scenario:

As Asian Australians, there is a perception and stereotype in society that the community has achieved a lot of success economically, socially and professionally. This may be true to a certain extent, but it is also a myth in other ways. Asian Australians make up nearly 10% of Australia's population, however, there is a lack of representation in mainstream decision making roles (political, corporate, media, not for profit and academic sectors). The other major problems is that even within the gender equality debate, Asian Australian women are not necessarily included, but the greater movement and cause has overshadowed this fact. Within the broader Australian LGBTIQ movement, there is a lack of connection and involvement of Asian Australians and the issue of discrimination in terms of race remains. The Asian Australian youth, the future, need to understand, be mentored and be empowered to take on more leadership roles as well as learn how to push the envelope.

The purpose of this upcoming conference is to address this scenario via dialogue, consultation and outcomes as well as formally launch the Asian Australian Alliance as a national body.

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

Please note: The AAA is offering FREE entry to the first 20 AALA members to RSVP

Date: Saturday May 7, 2016

Time: 9:00 - 18:00

Venue: Room G08, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne

Cost: $30, Students and Seniors $15. Please rsvp to Erin Chew on asianaustralianalliance@outlook.com

Check updates on www.facebook.com/AsianAustralianAlliance

You are warmly invited to attend our next seminar on 12 May 2016 (Melbourne). Arie Schreier, COO of PTL Group, will speak on the practical challenges of doing business in China from a legal, operational and cultural perspective.

Mr Schreier has over 20 years of management experience with companies and diplomatic missions throughout Asia, Australia and South America. He has spent the last 11 years managing operations for foreign companies in China.

Mr Schreier’s practical insights will be valuable for anyone who is interested in doing business in China or with China. 

Date: 12 May 2016

Time: 5:30pm

Location: Law Institute of Victoria, 470 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Cost: $10 for AALA members, $30 for non-members

To register, please click here.

To obtain the member price, please login before registering for the event. For more information, please contact us at info@aala.org.au. 

Then why not get more involved with the Asian Australian Lawyers Association and help us in the drive to promote cultural diversity in the legal profession. Due to an overseas relocation, a casual vacancy has arisen on the AALA Executive Committee (until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in August/September). The Executive Committee, which meets monthly, provides governance and oversight of the activities of the AALA. In addition, Executive Committee members are expected to get involved with our sub-committees (membership, events, professional development, international relationships and social media/e-marketing) or other ad hoc programs (eg. proposed William Ah Ket Scholarship). While meetings are held at the Law Institute of Victoria, teleconference facilities are available for members who are interstate or work in suburban or regional areas.

If you want to get involved, please send your CV (not more than 3 pages) and a short statement (not more than 250 words) about what you would bring to the AALA, to our secretary at tuanh.nguyen@aala.org.au by 5pm on Friday 13 May 2016. If you have been involved in AALA committees or similar work for other associations, that will be considered favourably. You should also indicate whether you would nevertheless be interested in joining one of our subcommittees in the event you are not appointed to the Executive Committee.

The Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) condemns the bigoted tirades published on social media, as referred to in The Age today, criticising the appointment of Ms Urfa Masood to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.

Attorney General Martin Pakula’s appointment of Ms Masood to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria is a step in the right direction towards greater cultural diversity in the Courts and ensuring the judiciary is reflective of the community it serves.  

The President of the AALA, Reynah Tang, said:

“The Magistrates’ Court of Victoria handles a large volume of cases each day.  Ms Masood’s appointment will provide greater diversity of understanding in dealing with matters from an Australian community that is increasingly multicultural and multi-faith. This is critical for social cohesion.”

The AALA warmly congratulates Ms Masood on her appointment.

Elevating our presence!

In a span of three weeks, AALA members were coached by Master Voice and Presentation Coach, Richard Lawton – gaining invaluable tips on how to elevate our presence, physically and by using our voice. 

We learned how to keep calm in high pressure situations by standing tall regardless of height, taking up powerful poses including hands on hips, standing with feet slightly apart and maintaining stillness. 

We developed an awareness of high and low status body language. Members discovered their own default power pose and received effective feedback from Richard and each other. The sessions were highly interactive with demonstrations, practices, presentations and the voluntary sharing of success stories by participating members at each session. For those who missed out, Richard will return in the latter half of the year.

AALA Committee Member Molina Asthana recently appeared on SBS Radio discussing the topic of the 'bamboo ceiling'. Molina says that “diversity is better represented in America, in judiciary and legal profession … but if we talk about Australia things are different and diversity in judiciary and legal workplace is far less”. 

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