The Membership Committee's fundamental objective is to expand the membership of VWL and to ensure that VWL meets its members' needs and interests.  The Membership Committee is also responsible for coordinating the process of becoming and remaining a member of VWL.

 

Last year, Membership established and launched a mentoring scheme between women lawyers and barristers and women law students at Melbourne University.  This year, Membership will survey the participants of that mentoring scheme with a view to establishing a similar scheme with other law schools.  Also on the agenda for 2005 is a plan to hold a forum for women law students on "women in the law" with a panel of VWL members from different fields of legal practice.  We are also working on establishing a mentoring scheme within the legal profession.

 

This year, Membership also plans to launch practice-specific email group lists for VWL members to share their experiences and information.  It is envisaged that the group email lists will allow members to log on to this website and either browse or contribute to a "notice board" of practice-specific case notes, comments and procedures.

 

Membership remains committed to expanding and broadening the breadth of membership and ensuring that VWL accommodates the different conditions in which women lawyers work.  Accordingly, we are particularly interested in establishing links with practitioners in suburban and rural areas and have planned to conduct a survey of those practitioners to find out how VWL can better service their needs.

 

If you would like to contribute your ideas or join the Membership Committee, please contact Beth Hilton-Thorp jthorp@bigpond.net.au  tel. 0416 127 157