Life Members
Life Members are appointed for 'exceptional service to the Bar Association or to the profession of the law'. As at 06 March 2025 life membership has been awarded to 79 members of the association
| Name | Bar Council resolution date | Position at the time of appointment |
| L F Osborne* | 17 December 1970 | retired registrar of the Bar Association |
| The Rt Hon. Sir Garfield Barwick Kt GCMG * | 24 February 1972 | chief justice of Australia |
| The Hon. Sir Kenneth Manning Kt* | 24 February 1972 | NSW Court of Appeal judge |
| The Hon. Sir John Kerr KCMG * | 22 August 1974 | governor-general of Australia |
| The Rt Hon. Sir Edward McTiernan KBE* | 16 December 1976 | High Court judge |
| The Rt Hon. Sir Victor Windeyer KBE CB DSO ED* | 16 December 1976 | High Court judge |
| The Rt Hon. Sir Frank Kitto KBE* | 16 December 1976 | High Court judge |
| B J F Wright MBE QC* | 3 March 1977 | former barrister |
| Sir Zelman Cowen AK GCMG GCVO KStJ CMG* | 28 June 1979 | governor-general of Australia |
| The Hon. Sir Kenneth Jacobs KBE* | 19 July 1979 | High Court judge |
| The RT Hon. Sir Harry Gibbs GCMG KBE* | 28 October 1982 | chief justice of Australia |
| The Hon. Sir Gerard Brennan KBE* | 26 May 1983 | High Court Judge |
| C R Evatt QC* | 30 August 1984 | former barrister |
| J Baldock | 29 August 1985 | former barrister |
| Capt W F Cook LVO RAN* | 6 March 1986 | retired registrar of the Bar Association |
| Jean Mullin OBE* | 11 May 1989 | former barrister |
| Joyce Schewcroft OBE* | 13 August 1992 | former barrister |
| Capt T R Duchesne RAN | 13 August 1992 | retired registrar of the Bar Association |
| The Hon. Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG KStJ* | 30 March 1995 | former chief justice of NSW |
| The Hon. Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE CBE | 25 May 1995 | High Court judge |
| P M Woodward QC* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Dec 1969 - Oct 1971) |
| The Hon. Justice G J Samuels AC* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Oct 1971 - Nov 1972) |
| The Hon G D Needham QC* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Nov 1972 - Dec 1972) |
| The Hon. TEF Hughes AO QC | 1 February 1996 | former president (Sept 1973 - Dec 1975) |
| The Hon. Justice T R Morling* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Nov 1977 - Dec 1979) |
| The Hon. Justice R P Meagher* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Dec 1979 - Nov 1981) |
| The Hon. Justice M H McHugh AC | 1 February 1996 | former president (Nov 1981 - Dec 1983) |
| The Hon. Justice A M Gleeson AC | 1 February 1996 | former president (Dec 1983 - Dec 1985) |
| R V Gyles QC | 1 February 1996 | former president (Dec 1985 - Nov 1987) |
| The Hon. Justice K R Handley AO | 1 February 1996 | former president (Nov 1987 - Nov 1989) |
| The Hon. B S J O’Keefe AM QC* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Nov 1989 - Dec 1991) |
| J S Coombs QC* | 1 February 1996 | former president (Dec 1991 - Nov 1993) |
| M H Tobias QC | 1 February 1996 | former president (Nov 1993 - Nov 1995) |
| Janet V Coombs AM* | 7 May 1998 | former barrister |
| The Hon. Justice J J Spigelman AC | 18 June 1998 | chief justice of NSW |
| Sir Maurice Byers Kt CBE QC* | 2 July 1998 | former president (Nov 1965 - Nov 1967) |
| C A Porter QC* | 15 June 2000 | former barrister |
| R W R Parker QC* | 16 August 2001 | former barrister |
| D M Bennett AO QC | 3 October 2001 | former president (Nov 1995 - Dec 1997) |
| I M Barker QC* | 3 October 2001 | former president (Dec 1997 - Nov 1999) |
| R S McColl SC | 15 November 2001 | former president (Nov 1999 - Nov 2001) |
| F S McAlary QC* | 27 February 2002 | former barrister |
| Dr J M Bennett* | 11 April 2002 | legal historian |
| B W Walker SC | 4 December 2003 | former president (Nov 2001 - Nov 2003 ) |
| The Hon. M Gaudron QC | 24 January 2005 | former High Court judge |
| I G Harrison SC | 24 November 2005 | former president (Nov 2003 - Nov 2005) |
| P H Greenwood SC | 14 June 2007 | barrister |
| The Hon. Justice I D F Callinan AC | 13 July 2007 | High Court judge |
| M J Slattery QC | 29 November 2007 | former president (Nov 2005 - Nov 2007 ) |
| Alexander Shand QC* | 25 September 2008 | former barrister |
| The Hon J H Wootten AC QC* | 27 November 2008 | former judge |
| The Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG | 2 February 2009 | High Court judge |
| Anna Katzmann SC | 26 November 2009 | former president (Nov 2007 - Nov 2009) |
| The Hon R J Ellicott QC* | 10 February 2011 | barrister, former attorney-general, solicitor general & judge |
| Paul Daley | 7 April 2011 | barristers' clerk |
| Tom Bathurst QC | 26 May 2011 | former president (Nov 2009-May2011) |
| The Hon J H Mathews AO* | 27 October 2011 | former judge |
| The Hon Kevin Lindgren AM QC | 11 October 2012 | former judge |
| The Hon Justice Anthony Meagher | 11 October 2012 | judge |
| B A Coles QC | 25 February 2013 | former president (June 2011-December 2012) |
| The Hon Margaret Beazley AO | 24 October 2013 | judge |
| The Hon James Allsop AO | 24 October 2013 | judge |
| The Hon Justice Virginia Bell AC | 27 March 2014 | High Court Judge |
| Phillip Boulten SC | 29 May 2014 | former president |
| Ian Temby AO QC | 11 December 2014 | barrister |
| Jane Needham SC | 20 November 2015 | former president |
| Philip Selth OAM* | 6 October 2016 | executive director of the Bar Association |
| Michael Fordham SC | 6 October 2016 | barrister |
| Penny Johnston | 6 October 2016 | BarCare director |
| Noel Hutley SC | 11 May 2017 | former president |
| Justin Gleeson SC | 11 May 2017 | barrister, former solicitor-general of Australia |
| Helen Barrett | 23 August 2018 | former staff member |
| Arthur Moses SC | 13 December 2018 | former president |
| The Hon Brian Sully AM QC* | 14 February 2019 | judge |
| Tim Game SC | 19 November 2020 | former president |
| the Hon Stephen John Gageler AC | 25 March 2021 | High Court Judge |
| Michael McHugh SC | 12 May 2022 | former president |
| Gillian Mahony SC | 25 May 2023 | barrister |
| Gabrielle Bashir SC | 23 November 2023 | former president |
* denotes deceased
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