VWL Membership

A Word from the Patron of Victorian Women Lawyers

The Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC

Victorian Women Lawyers is a voluntary association that promotes and protects the interests of women lawyers and engages with legal and social justice issues that affect women.

Having observed the Victorian experience over almost 30 years and seeing the changes that I have, and they have been significant changes, it seems to me that the time had come to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our gender in the law and assess strategies for moving forward.

As women progress, those who succeed cannot rely solely on their example. They ought use their achievement to expressly and practically support the development and promotion of younger women in the law. It is imperative that the hand be cast down to the generation below to pull up the women from the previous generation to the next.

And above all, women need to keep gender on the agenda. Perseverance is the ultimate imperative in promoting difference.

I commend VWL for its energy and enthusiam in promoting the interests of women in the law and am proud to be its Patron.

A Word from our Convenor, Patricia Athanasiadis

April 2012

Dear Member,

We hope you have enjoyed the recent break and don’t forget there is another just around the corner this coming Wednesday. What you also must not forget is that VWL has organised 3 fantastic events for the coming month!

On 2 May we have our Members and Guests evening which is an annual catch up for members and non-members. The well known comedian Cal Wilson will have us all in stitches so don’t forget to register or you will be missing out!

Taking into account the time of year and that performance reviews are just around the corner, I recommend you attend the Know Your Worth… How to negotiate a pay rise seminar on 15 May. Presented by Sean Bate, Director of Sigma Executive, this seminar aims to provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to prepare for your performance and pay review and to undertake that exercise with confidence.

Our biennial Women’s Achievement Awards rounds out the month on 30 May. This wnderful dinner will thank all the Award nominees and congratulate the winners. Tables an be purchased for this event, so bring 9 of your workmates and have a fantastic night at the Plaza Ballroom. Don’t forget to nominate for the women you consider are making a difference! See more details on this event and the nomination details on the VWL website.

We know the VWL membership is an engaged group; a recent email asking for expressions of interest for co-chairing roles for both the Membership Committee and the Communications Committee resulted in a large group of women wanting to be involved. VWL is a voluntary association so it is fantastic to have so much support from its members.

We’re calling out again, this time for the role of VWL Administrator. This is a paid, part time (flexible) position and involves general administrative tasks, bookkeeping and the preparation of BAS as well as event organisation. If you know anyone that fits the bill, please feel free to contact me as an advertisement and position description will be released on our website shortly.

Just a reminder that our Law Student Mentoring Program is open! Having taken part in the program as well as hearing from others who have been involved, it is a fantastic program. It develops skills on both sides of the relationship. Whether it’s a coffee once a month or skype chats every week, you have much to gain from the program from how to apply having a sounding board for ideas and knowing someone in law.

With more wonderful events and reports right around the corner don’t forget to keep checking the VWL website for more details!