Women in Law Organisation

Mara Lejins, Ruth Parsons, Hannah Cameron and Emily Langford — Co-founders of WILO

 

‘There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women’ – Madeleine Albright

The Women in Law Organization (‘WILO’) is a student-run mentoring program for female undergraduates beginning next semester. The program will pair female law students with professional women in the legal sector, as a means to empower and develop women studying law.

Although women represent more than half of law graduates, the course of female law careers do not re ect this positive trajectory. Female law graduates earn 4% less than their male colleagues, and as their careers progress; women are signi cantly underrepresented in senior legal roles. The Law Council of Australia recently released a Model Equal Opportunity Briefing Policy, which highlighted the need to promote programs with female mentors and role models.

WILO not only seeks to build relationships between students and professional role models, but also to increase interactions between motivated female law students. Our university peers will likely be the professionals we interact with in our future careers. Relationships with other law students can be a source of support, friendship, and mutual assistance.

The Mentoring Program will begin next semester. WILO has already started sending out mentoring applications to the private sector, the public service and smaller enterprises around Canberra.

We are always keen to hear from prospective mentors. Mentors will meet with mentees at least twice during the semester and attend our celebratory cocktail party at the end of semester.

We will begin taking applications from mentees via an online form on the LSS website, and applications will likely close in Week 2 next semester. Students applying to the program should have an interest in pursuing the legal profession after graduation or an interest in learning more about a career in law. Successful applicants must be prepared to enter into a respectful and reciprocal relationship with a mentor.

Once our mentees have been selected, we will have an introductory cocktail party in Week 3. Cathie Armour, ASIC Commissioner, will be our guest speaker and will talk on the importance of female mentoring. This event will also serve as a means for our mentees to get to know each other, and begin the exciting journey that is WILO.

Further information will be available on the LSS website shortly, or alternatively we can be contacted on u5570167@anu.edu.au or through the LSS email. We look forward to the commencement of this exciting program and we hope that it will develop into a pillar of the LSS.