Policy to improve equity in legal profession achieves key target

08/03/2022

Media Release

The Law Council of Australia launched the Equitable Briefing Policy in 2016 and a key target was to have women barristers briefed in at least 30 per cent of all matters by 1 July 2020. Data released yesterday shows this objective has been achieved, with 31 per cent of briefs going to women barristers as at the end of the 2019-2020 financial year

This has exceeded the final target of the Policy by one percentage point and represents an increase of four percentage points from the previous reporting year. Female junior barristers were briefed at an even higher rate, receiving 37 per cent of briefs.

Unfortunately, the Law Council's thirty percent target of fees paid to women barristers was not reached. Twenty three per cent of fees Briefing Entities reported paying in 2019-20 went to women.

The full media release is available here.