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The first Female Champion of Change... is it time I step up?

21 October 2016: "I hope that there comes a day when there is no gender equality issue. I was recently asked at a university event what I am doing for the males in the legal profession. I commented that when they are the only male walking into the Supreme Court applications lists to a room full of females barristers, when they are struggling to find a way to feed their newborn through a two week trial without having to openly state in Court the reason for afternoon recess, when they are spending nights wondering if they should be giving the President's Address they really want to give as opposed to the Address that should give so as not to cause controversy at their Annual Male in Law Dinner, then I will gladly step up, advocate for them and be the first female champion of change." The day has come where there has been questions raised from the males on the 68% majority representation of females on a Board.  A Parole Board in Queensland that has a committee to review applications and make recommendations on appointment based on criteria, that is, merit.  I haven't read through the ins and outs on who is on the Board and all those finer details.  Not relevant to me for this purpose.  Now, I stress from the outset.  This is not a blog about politics, about who made the comments, what party they are from, or who has been appointed.  Again, not relevant.  This is a blog about my previous commitment (given on no less than two occasions) to step up and be the first Female Champion of Change.  The above quote is taken from my President's Address at the 2016 WLAQ Annual Awards Dinner. I am now fully aware of a situation where there is unrest due to the 68% majority female representation on a board.  Is it time I now stand up and declare myself the first Female Champion of Change and follow through with my commitment? Before I race off and resign my post as President of WLAQ I thought I better do a quick check on the stats for Australia as a whole.  I cannot start a new position if I am not fully informed on what I need to change.  Here is what I found:  there is a gender imbalance - and it is not in favour of the males.  I guess my Female Champion of Change title will have to wait....  (Thanks PwC amongst others for all of the research).

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Top 20 under ....40

When I was first called about this, my first thought was 'wow, I am now no longer under 30' and once I was able to overcome the fact that I am now firmly in the next decade, I was able to move to excitement, particularly as the shoot location was getting discussed. Everyone who knows anything about me knows that sport plays a strong role in my life (kind of helps when you have a sports law focused practice!).  When I was told that we would be shooting at Suncorp Stadium with the possibility of having shots of me on the pitch, I had to do a happy dance on the spot! I was asked recently why I do what I do; why I mentor, why I am trying to make a change for women in the law and corporate world.  To me, I have the ability to try and make a change, so why wouldn't I at least attempt to do something.  I want to leave a legacy in this world and if the work I am doing contributes to making a difference for even one female, then I will be over the moon. Thank you to Queensland Business Monthly for including me in the 2017 Top 20 under 40.  

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There's a change coming and I am happy about it!

Women's Agenda have recently launched their 'game changer' features and I was stoked to be able to share a bit of insight into my world.   I do a lot of speaking, but there a few key parts of my life that I very rarely touch on.  I decided to change this slightly, and give a bit more of an insight into my earlier life.  I was also able to give some key messages to the corporate world.  Watch out because there is change coming and I could not be happier! Thank you to Angela and her team for allowing me to contribute.  Read more in "Meet the woman changing the game of law".

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Can you be my mentor?

Anyone who has spent a day with me knows that mentoring plays a key part of my life.  I frequently have the life of a lawyer chats with junior lawyers where we discuss how their week has been, what they are working on, what they want to work on and checking in on the goals they have set for the year.   I will never say no to a request to have a chat and look to develop a mentoring relationship.  What I am becoming surprised about is the requests I am receiving which state at first instance 'I want you to be my mentor'. While that is flattering, I don't think it is beneficial to any party to simply state that they have a mentoring relationship.  A beneficial mentoring relationship is built over time where a true relationship is formed and both the mentor and mentee work out their common ground and how they can each help each other. A few tips when approaching someone to be your mentor:

Find out about your mentor and what area of business they are in.

Jot down some notes about how you think your mentor can help you achieve your goals.

Review your career plan and goals to make sure it is up to date to send through to your mentor.

Be realistic about timing and expectations.  A good mentor is likely busy with a number of other projects, work and life.  If they cannot see you for a few weeks, don't become despondent!

Show initiative - it is up to you to continue the relationship.

Good luck with your mentoring relationship!  

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Women in Sport coverage

So I have been talking about the vicious cycle facing women in sports - the media show what the fans call for, the fans call for more of what is being given to them by the Club, the Club keeps giving the fans what the media will broadcast.  Throw into all of this sponsorship money based on air time, salaries based on 'pro-rata' hours of what the blokes get paid and we are looking at a very small pool of money and broadcasting opportunity for women in sport. I was excited to attend the Brisbane Heat WBBL launch last week and hear that Channel 10 are broadcasting women's games in prime time.  A massive decision that I truly believe will pay off.  We only have to look at the games from the weekend to see how much fun it is to watch them play. I was a bit disappointed to see what stories were mentioned in today's newspapers about women's sport from the weekend.  Here is what I found:

Brisbane Times - has an article on the WBBL and the ratings for the weekend.  No mention of the Brisbane Heat WBBL game or how the players went (Dottin's six was amazing for anyone who missed it!).

Brisbane Times - has an article on the men Brisbane Roar and their 4-0 win over Adelaide.  Not even one line about the women who one 3-2 (or the Youth who won 3-2).

Sydney Morning Herald - article about Dottin and if she is the female Chris Gayle, and another about Sophie Molineux and her talent. 

Sydney Morning Herald - article about Melbourne City FC women's team loosing their first match.  The first article about the game!!!!

Courier-Mail - after clicking on a few headings, I found an article on the side bar about the Brisbane Women's game.  I think saying Roar fell asleep is probably a bit harsh because the game went into a short lull, but hey everyone has different opinions.

Over the weekend we had four women's W-League matches and the start of the women's BBL series with six games.  I know that there needs to be a transition into covering women's sport, so about this; every Monday there is a dedicated women in sport column touching on all of the games.  Would that work?  It would get the coverage going.  Hopefully the women's AFL league will really see an increase of coverage, particularly in Monday sport's coverage!!

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WLAQ 38th Annual Awards Dinner

October is always a crazy time for events and for me in general (birthday month!).  This year was no exception with a lot of my spare time taken up with organising the WLAQ 38th Annual Awards Dinner.  It was held on Friday night with a record attendance of 240 members of the legal profession and friends. I love organising events, it is the fun part of any task and it kind of comes naturally to me (I put it down to my job during high school at Bundy Bowl & Leisure with organising functions and parties).  This year we had Caroline Overington as our guest speaker.  She was previously with Women's Weekly and is now back at the Australia and for me to attempt to summarise her and her achievements in this paragraph would surely undermine the significance she has had on Australian journalism and for women in that field.

Andre Cois Photography 

T his Awards Dinner was even more special for me as I was able to deliver my President's Address.  We held our Women at the Bar event in early September 2016, but I wanted more than ever to make an impact with my address, excite those in the room and give some ideas for future consideration.  The feedback following my address has given me many 'pinch me' moments and I would specifically like to acknowledge Roger Derrington QC who, in his role as Editor of Queensland Reports, published my address and gave an excellent review of the Awards Dinner.  To read a copy of my address, please visit this link. As I read over it, I am even more excited about what we can do in years to come.  It is all about keeping the discussion going and providing solutions to the barriers facing women in the legal profession.

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Women's Agenda 4th Leadership Awards

I cannot contain my excitement and I am still shaking!  Yesterday I attended at the Women's Agenda 4th Leadership Awards in Sydney.

I have been an avid reader of the publication since it first started and always loved the work of Angela Priestly and Georgina Dent.  When it was announced that Angela had purchased Women's Agenda this year I was immediately filled with a high level of admiration for her.  A working mother following her dreams and just doing it!

I was nominated as an Emergent Leader in the Legal Sector by my firm, and still remember the call when I was told that I made finalist.  I went into that mode I so often mentor young lawyers about, almost feeling like an imposter when I saw the four other finalists who included a Partner at my firm and someone I very much look up to, Paula Robinson along with General Counsel and Senior VP at Brookfield Property, Claire Bibby.

In my usual LawyerCas ways, I was tweeting all of the winners as they were announced, typing their category and having the hashtag ready so I just had to insert their names on announcement.  I will never forget sitting there with my phone in my hand waiting for the winner to be announced in the Legal Sector category, when I heard my name.  I can never remember a moment in life when I have shook so much with excitement.  I was also terrified about walking on stage because I was only in my second week of walking following the whole broken leg and was wearing heels (as directed by my rehab team!), but the stairs to the stage were looking a bit much.  Angela, oh Angela, so grateful for her assistance on to the stage.  I was still a bumbling mess and even mentioned my recent success about being able to wear heels again (I mean really Cas, so much substance shown!).  

I am so proud to be working alongside the women I spend most of my time with, and that I have the opportunity to progress the work done of those more senior, women like Claire and Paula.  They have done the hard yards so my time as a lawyer is easier.  Hopefully the work I do will make it easier still for the next generation.  The Award is a reminder to me that I need to keep going with my work.  If there is just a slimmer of opportunity that I can make a difference then I will be happy with leaving that legacy.  Massive thank you to Sucheta from Minters who came and supported me on the day and to everyone involved.  We can do this!

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No I will not accept your LinkedIn dating request!

I love LinkedIn.  I think it is a great tool for continuing a professional relationship and it is now the online business card.  However, people are starting to use it like Facebook and for dating purposes.  I fear its purpose will become redundant.

My biggest bug bear about LinkedIn are the recruiters who look at my profile and then add me.  No message, just the standard LinkedIn "you are someone I trust".  Then I get a message saying, 'I saw you have career opportunities ticked and I wanted to discuss a role I want to offer you', or 'I have a role for you, let's chat'.  Well no, I don't have it checked because I'm not looking for opportunities and the role you have to offer me is an interview with five other candidates. 

A message to the young - this is not head hunting and is by no means complimentary.  Despite being Gen Y, I actually remember what recruitment was like before LinkedIn and what head hunting involved. 

To the men adding me on LinkedIn and then asking me for a wine after work, don't.  If I wanted to do online dating, I would use Tinder.

To the motivational speakers putting up quotes supposedly from Einstein, Emerson and Twain, don't. Use the message from those quotes and create your own message.  Build your personal brand.  

LinkedIn is such a resourceful tool which is under-utilised for it's required purpose.  When I first joined LinkedIn, I received referrals and recommendations for work.  One barrister had the brilliant practice of when he received a direct brief to email 3-5 lawyers who practiced in the necessary area and ask them to get back to him if they would like the work referred to them. 

Young professionals can use LinkedIn to build their practice and build your online profile.  You want that raise or promotion?  Well, set yourself apart from your colleague in the office next to you and use social media for that purpose!  An ability to build a practice at a young stage will be your most useful negotiating tool!

Picture available here

My tips, spend 20 minutes this week on updating your LinkedIn profile by:

- updating your photograph (no selfies, filtered photos or wedding pictures)

- updating your specialities and biography

- sending a message to a connection and make sure you continue the relationship

- reviewing the Groups you follow and see if you need a clean up

- searching for companies or influencers to follow (this helps you keep up on industry news and developments 

- having a look through the "people you may know" function to see if you can form new relationships. 

LinkedIn, if used correctly, is such a useful tool.  Have a reminder to review your overall profile every few months and make sure you keep in contact with your connections!

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Why we should be encouraging young girls to become footy fans.

I recently read the article by Kasey Edwards on why she didn't want her daughter to be a footy fan.  Ms Edwards provided well thought out reasons on her views, and addressed the likely thoughts of those who would disagree with her position. Essentially, she concluded that why would she want to put her daughter in a position where she was likely to be a minority, to face sexism and discrimination.  Valid point, but overall I disagree.  I agree that the change in attitude to women in sport, particularly in football will not change through one trailblazer (e.g. Sam Mostyn or Rebecca Madden), but we need to have a consistent and collaborative approach in order to facilitate change and let society know, 'hey it's ok that females are involved in footy!'. I have a consistent message in all of my speeches on gender equality - change will come through Generation Y males purely based on the fact that they have not been exposed to an upbringing which would result in them having a high level of inherited subconscious bias (against women).  Male gen y's were the first generation where mothers worked full-time and fathers were primary care givers; they are used to having women in what was a traditionally male role.  The ripple effect will continue so much so that future generations will have even less of an inherited bias - well that is my hope. By encouraging our children to challenge gender specific barriers, we will facilitate a change for the future.  While I fully respect the decision that Ms Edwards has made, I hope in years to come she will not have to be concerned about her daughter's welfare and the impact exposing her to football could have on her confidence, self-esteem and outlook on life. To do this, we, as leaders of our generation, need to call out the sexist or discriminatory behaviour and celebrate women in sport, whether they be a player, spectator, coach, umpire or commentator.  To stay silent is to accept the conduct. I don't have children, but I played hockey since I was 4, softball since I was 8, touch football since I was 9, and then in high school went into rowing, volleyball, soccer and continued with athletics and other school sports.  I maintain a high level of sport as I embark on my 30s and last year I started boxing.  As kids we played tackled red rover with the boys, challenged them in 'Force Back' and held our own in the kicking game.  We were never told we couldn't or shouldn't do that.  We were encouraged to participate, and I will adopt the same position for my children.  Parents would never tell their sons not to watch dancing, or participate in ballet because he may be laughed at, or be ostracised based on gender.  He would be encouraged to stand tall, put it past him and do what makes him feel happy.  The same should be for our daughters and football! I hope that change for women in sport comes sooner rather than later.  As Ms Edwards highlighted, it is estimated that 40% of club members are women.  If the Australian sporting industry (in this I include clubs, players, sponsors, spectators, umpires and commentators) does not recognise the significant role women play in sport, it will be to the detriment of Australian sport, which is without a doubt a significant part, if not the largest part, of Australia's culture and identity. I coach at, play for, and am a Non-Executive Committee Member at Toowong FC.  I am proud of the commitment they have made to girls and women in sport with their programs.  I call on all those involved to work towards making it more acceptable for women to have a role in Australian sport (especially football), even if it by way of watching and supporting your team, so that mothers like Ms Edwards don't have to be concerned with the impact it could have on their daughters.

Toowong Tomcats 2015 team. 

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Women in Law Event hosted by QUT Law Society

Last night I gave an address at the QUT Law Society Women in Law event in my capacity as Vice-President of WLAQ.  It was held at Old Government House and over 50 students attended. The QUT Law Society did a fantastic job as hosts and the event was inspiring.  The Chief Justice gave an address and spoke of the significant milestones that women lawyers have made in Queensland's history. Following this, I gave the address below and spent some time with my fellow MinterEllison colleagues talking to the students about transitioning from student to lawyer. Congratulations to QUT Law Society on hosting such a wonderful event.

  I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the QUT Law Society in hosting tonight's event, along with our Chief Justice who has provided another inspirational speech, which I am sure you will all reflect on in years to come.

I am here tonight in my capacity as one of the Vice-President's of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland, and to provide you with background knowledge about our organisation and our plans for you and the future for women in Queensland's legal profession. 

WLAQ was founded in 1978 by Leneen Forde AC and ten female lawyers including current President of the Land Court, Carmel MacDonald, Una Prentice, The Honourable Justice Margaret McMurdo President of the Court of Appeal and Noela L'Estrange former CEO of Queensland Law Society.

Past Presidents include Deputy Chief Magistrate Leanne O'Shea, Judge Sally Purdon-Sully, Magistrate Kay Ryan and Justice Jenny Hogan.  Her Honour, Justice Mullins served as Treasurer for 7 years.

We are an organisation created by the leading women lawyers in Queensland, and  continued to be run by women who are as equally as passionate about ensuring that the interests of women in the legal profession are protected.  It is at this time that I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to the Chief Justice for her address delivered at the 100th anniversary of the admission of Agnes McWhinney. 

The address contained a comprehensive overview of the history of women in Queensland's legal profession, commencing with Agnes' admission on 7 December 1915, and progressing to what the Chief Justice described as a particularly important first which occurred in 2015, one that was a very significant milestone for women, and a position she had doubted a woman would ever hold.  This milestone was the appointment of Sue Brown QC as the first female Vice-President of the Bar Association of Queensland.  This being WLAQ's first opportunity to publically acknowledge the Chief Justice following this address, on behalf of WLAQ I would like to acknowledge another significant milestone of 2015, that being the Chief Justice's appointment as Queensland's first woman Chief Justice.  I know I speak on behalf of all present tonight when I say thank you, not only for your contribution to women in the profession, but to the profession as a whole.

I would also like to echo your comments, that we can dare to dream of a woman President of the Bar Association, with the Law Society having achieved this milestone some 30 years prior with the election of Elizabeth Nosworthy. 

Some would ask, why in 2016 do we need an organisation such as WLAQ?  I do not propose to recite statistics, but want to emphasis the significant disparity between the ratio of female to male law graduates to the ratio of female to male QCs, Special Counsel and Partners.  The profession is loosing key women lawyers post 5 to 8 years admission, and adjustments to what used to be considered general practice for a lawyer, must be made.

At our last AGM we had 434 members, of which 147 were students.  WLAQ recognises the importance of ensuring our student membership is well represented and maintains an open relationship with all of the Universities so that we can work collaboratively in addressing issues that you face as you transition from student to lawyer.

Last year we released our 2015-2018 Strategic Plan, a first for WLAQ and an initiative I am proud to be apart of.  In this, we made a firm commitment to provide networking, educational and mentoring opportunities for our members.  I am pleased to report that we have made progress with this objective and our 2015/2016 Mentoring Program saw a significant increase in the number of mentee applications, that is applications by female law students requesting mentorship.  As students, this is where you will see the most benefits of being a member of WLAQ.

It is important that as you progress in your career you remain open to discussing your ideas and issues with those more senior than you.  It is through these conversations that we can recognise any systemic issues that may be presenting as barriers to your progression and assist you in finding solutions.  I acknowledge the reports of the unbalanced proportion of available positions to the number of law graduates.  However, when we look at your career progression, it is important that impediments to you staying in the legal profession are known so that, when we look at the other end of the spectrum, that is your movement into leadership positions, WLAQ as an organisation, can continue to do what it can to facilitate disruption and work towards equality.  It is now that I call upon the male law students in the room to commit to being a champion of change and look up to role models such as Dominic McGann.

Moving forward, I would encourage you to support each other as you graduate, when you are admitted, and as you progress through the ranks in your career.  It is important that we work together and have a support network amongst our peers.  WLAQ events are frequently attended by past Presidents and the executive, who often retell stories of their recent catch ups.   It is now that you will create friendships that are the foundation of your career relationships.

With that, I would like to extend an invitation to you all to attend the Una Prentice Awards, which are being held on 19 April 2016 at the College of Law.  The Awards celebrate the top female law student of each University, made possible thanks to the generous bequest of Una Prentice, the first female law graduate.

Thank you again to Harriette and the QUT Law Society for asking WLAQ to attend tonight and I wish you all the best with your career.

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Gender equality improves in legal fraternity

I have always maintained that any improvement to gender parity and inequality issues will come through men taking the lead and becoming a role model to our younger generation. It was great to talk to Brisbane Legal about the WLAQ Inter-Professional Evening and give my views on gender equality in the legal profession. The full article can be found here. Thank you again to the women I work with at MinterEllison for supporting me in organsing the event and coming along.

Andre Cois Photography

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WLAQ Inter-Professional Evening 2016

It was absolutely amazing to host the 2016 WLAQ Inter-Professional evening last night.  This year, we invited Dr Kirstin Ferguson as our guest speaker. Below is a recap of my introduction for Kirstin given in my capacity as Vice-President.

Andre Cois Photography 

Following on from Amelia's welcome, thank you all for attending tonight.

When I was looking for some inspiration on what I wanted my message to be for tonight's introduction, I came across an article in Women's Agenda today confirming that a portion of the cost of our work handbag may be tax deductible.  I completely digressed from the task and found myself on the Burberry website contemplating a rather expensive purchase. I didn't go through with the purchase because my attention was diverted, correctly, back to the issue at hand.  Why are we, in 2016 still having to contemplate different arrangements for men and women.  There has never been any questions or debate raised over a men's ability to claim for his briefcase.  This is an issue I struggle with.  The ideas of feminism, along with the negative connotations post 1903 era of Emily Plunkett's radical feminism seem to have progressed, but our action in actually effecting change and achieving parity has not.

So much so it was reported this week in the PwC Women in Work Index that Australia has dropped from 17th to 20th (out of 33) in terms of female economic empowerment.  Of note, New Zealand is 4th and UK jumped from 21 to 16.  It is not that Australia is no longer taking action, it's just that the rest of the world is taking even moreaction.

This time last year, we were hosting our first Inter-Professional event with the newly appointed Minister for Women, Shannon Fentiman.  I spoke about how women no longer accepted "good enough", and with the taste of success, it was incumbent upon us all to selflessly work together, because we must continue to build on the success of the dedicated women before us.

I am pleased to say that progress for women in the legal profession in Queensland, particularly at the Bar, has not regressed, with the latest Supreme Court Annual Report confirming an increase in appearances by women in the Court of Appeal, criminal matters and civil matters. 

While my next comment may be interpreted as biased, I have no hesitation in stating that WLAQ continues to achieve success in advocating for women in the legal profession under the leadership of our current President.

It is through our deliberate action that we host tonight's event and allow our members an opportunity to network with other mid to senior professional businesswomen in Brisbane, to discuss the issues facing our everyday work life, enjoy a well earned wine, and to hear from a now former member of the legal profession, who, if I may be so bold to say, is absolutely killing it in the Boardroom.

Kirstin Ferguson is a lady who has a seat at the table and her career alone is an example of action that can be taken to achieve parity.  I first came across Kirstin through Twitter as we were both tweeting about union. 

I had an online stalk, and when reading through her resume, my immediate reaction was I need to meet this woman.  Currently on the Board for the ABC, the Queensland Theatre Company, previously Chairwoman of Thiess, and the first female director of Reds Rugby Union.  I wanted in on her inner circle, or in line with the latest buzz word – her squad!

With a PhD to go along side her degrees in Law and Arts (both of which she obtained with Honours), it is no surprise that Kirstin was named in the Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence in 2014.

I am very much looking forward to hearing from Kirstin, and ask that you please make her welcome.

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International Women's Day 2016

8 March.  The internationally recognised day celebrating women.  Some may still view this day with the same level of disdain the Asquith era did.  However, feminism has grown with the times.  1903 would be the height of radical feminism, where lives were lost, property damaged and instead of inciting respect for their cause, the radicals fuelled hate.  I personally don't think inciting riots or protests brings about change or positive awareness to a cause, however caveat that in saying there could be a time and place where it may.  But Emily Pankhurt's efforts were not in vain, and as society developed so did the feminist movement.  I have grown up in an era where the "feminism" and "feminist" have developed from negative connotations and comparisonsbetween Mary Wollstonecraft and Germaine Greer, to empowerment and thought leaders such as Emma Watson and closer to home, Elizabeth Broderick.  It is acceptable now, not only for females, but for men, to align themselves with the feminist movement and pledge for parity, the IWD 2016 theme. To me, it's not about one gender being more superior than another.  It is about me, and in years to come, my daughter and granddaughter having the same level of support, the same access to resources, and the same pay for the same work.  I clearly subscribe to the more liberal feminist movement.  For me, it is not about rewriting the rules of etiquette it is about recognising that in 2016 we have to actually do something.  It is not just about writing blogs such as this, it is about getting out there and making a change.  This needs to be done collectively, and with the same purpose in mind.

2133.  That is when the World Economic Forum says that parity will be reached.  You can't tell me we went from Nokia's to iPhone's in the space of 7 years, but it will take 230 years since Pankhurt first founded the Women's Social and Political Union to reach parity.  That is just ignorance from the upper echelons. I still maintain change will come sooner with the help of Gen Y.  Our levels of "unconscious" bias are lower than that of our parents and we have greater awareness of the impact equality issues can have.  I hope that the Male Champions of Change continue with their efforts, but take younger male role models on board and help them champion the cause. If you see an IWD post this week, take a moment to reflect on how far we have come, but how much further we still have to go.  Find a way to make a difference for future generations.  To take from the IWD website, "Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to take pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity." Happy International Women's Day 2016.

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MinterEllison announces senior appointments

Very excited to be promoted to Senior Associate in the Insurance and Corporate Risk team from 1 January 2016. Further information: http://www.minterellison.com/news/senior_appointments_jan-2016/.

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WLAQ Awards honours Queensland Women

The past few months have been very busy.  I am glad that everyone enjoyed the WLAQ 37th Annual Awards, and was very pleased that the Attorney-General accepted our invitation to attend. This would have to be one of my favourite events to have organised for WLAQ and our pictures are available on our Facebook Page. Our sponsor for the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award was UQ School of Law.  I am grateful that they were able to assist with the event again this year and thank them for their coverage in this article.  Thank you to Georgie Dent for agreeing to be the Keynote Speaker - the best friendships really are formed on Twitter.  I must also express my delight at Leneen Forde AC suggesting we have a 'selfie'!

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When your quote becomes an InstaInspo!

I have mentioned (a lot) on my Twitter how I am a member of LBD Group.  The fabulous Janine Garner and everyone she has introduced me to have really changed my life.  I first met Janine in December 2013, and have not turned back since! This month's GLOSS features my FOMO article and I was just that little bit excited to see that one of my quotes had been turned into a meme for #instainspo. Check out the July issue of GLOSS for more inspiring stories.

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WLAQ hosts The Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP

Since being appointed Secretary of Women Lawyers Association of Queensland in July 2014, I have been fortunate enough to attend and host a number of events.  The most recent event was the inaugural WLAQ Inter-Professional Networking Evening, where we hosted over 110 WLAQ members and their guests. I was working with a fabulous sub-committee of Tamlyn Mills and Bridget Handley and the support we received from a number of Queensland businesses was amazing.  My good girlfriend Laura Chong, of The 400co dressed us all in the Mater Chicks in Pink dress, The Collection by M provided personalised chocolates and we all drank Ballandean Estate wine while eating food catered by Sage Catering.  And the venue, Wesley House kindly organised by The College of Law Queensland.  Pictures from the night can be found on the WLAQ Facebook Page.

Andre Cois Photography

The theme of our night was "make it happen", which was the 2015 International Women's Day theme. The highlight of my night was being able to speak in front of my peers and close friends and to introduce our keynote speaker, The Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP.  A copy of my speech for the night is below. I stand by what I say.  Collaboration is what it will take to address issues of gender diversity in the legal profession. Let's make it happen. Introduction by Cassandra Heilbronn for Minister Fentiman MP Good Evening. Internationally, March is dedicated to the celebration of events relating to women in history and contemporary society.  As Tamlyn highlighted, 2015 is the year of making it happen and where effective action for advancing and recognising women is encouraged. Gone are the days where women focussed celebrations were held for political favour.  In its place, recognition of issues professional and corporate women face as they work towards challenging the status quo by not adhering to traditional, and well worn, rules and expectations of women in the workplace.  Women no long simply accept "good enough".  We have tasted success, and with ambition we build and capitalise on the foundations laid by our predecessors.  Through our recently endorsed Strategic Plan, WLAQ has committed to providing an avenue, and to be a catalyst, for change for women in the legal profession.  Tonight, we are doing just that as we are joined by our peers from other professions as we enjoy a glass of wine and share stories.  Collaboration.   That is how we will achieve equality and diversity in the legal profession. We have an advantage over our founding members.  Men are alive to the issues impeding the progression of women and accept that change is required.  I personally believe this change will come through the next generation of leaders, through my generation.  My male peers accept me as an equal, they frankly admit to having professional role models such as The Honourable Justice McMurdo AC and are familiar with females taking on the historically traditional role of provider, or "breadwinner".  Subconscious bias has not been inherited.  It is incumbent upon us all to selflessly work together, because we must continue to build on the success of the dedicated women before us and make it happen. In recognition of a woman who recently made it happen, we have invited The Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP, Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Child Safety and Multicultural Affairs to be our keynote speaker for this evening and share her thoughts on "making it happen" for professional and corporate women. Minister Fentiman holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from QUT and recently completed her Master of Laws at Melbourne University.  She was admitted as a legal practitioner in 2007. Prior to her election to the Queensland Parliament as the member for Waterford, she worked as a solicitor at Hall Payne Lawyers and has considerable experience in employment law, having previously worked as an industrial advocate for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.  She also worked as a Judge's Associate in the Supreme Court of Queensland to her Honour Justice Atkinson. We thank Minister Fentiman for making time to attend during the Parliamentary dinner break and speak to us tonight. Please welcome, Minister Fentiman.