Event wrap-up: Legal Profession Dinner

NIGHT OF CELEBRATION AT LEGAL PROFESSION DINNER

Dancing made a welcome return as almost 300 guests revelled in the freedom to network, mingle and hit the fl oor at the Legal Profession Dinner on 19 August.

Adelaide Oval’s William Magarey Room played host to the South Australian legal profession’s marquee awards night, which was MC’d by Society President Justin Stewart-Rattray.

After the 2020 Legal Profession Dinner was cancelled due to a State-wide lockdown, and last year’s dinner under signifi cant covid-based restrictions, guests relished the opportunity to celebrate without the types of constraints that most of us have been subjected to during the majority of the past two years.

In a slight twist to the traditional guest speaker format, Mr Stewart-Rattray interviewed Roger Rasheed, best known for coaching tennis players such as Lleyton Hewitt and Gaels Monfi ls. Mr Rasheed gave a fascinating insight into his childhood as a Lebanese born Australian, his methodologies for getting the best out of high performers, and his program to help vulnerable communities through sport.

It was a delight to have State Attorney General, The Hon Kyam Maher attend the event, make a toast to the profession, and present the awards.

The awards presented on the night were:

Justice Award – Mark Douglas

Mark has worked over many years to promote access to justice for socially and economically disadvantaged South Australians, particularly those living with a disability. He’s shown commitment over many years to equality and diversity in the law, through direct advocacy, education of the public and the profession including by sharing his lived experiences and mentoring junior practitioners, particularly female barristers.

Mark has chaired the Society’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee since its establishment in 2016, and has for several years been a member of the Law Council of Australia’s Equal Opportunity Committee.

He has also been the key driver in the Society’s efforts to increase accessibility in the South Australian Courts and the justice system in SA. Mark has pushed for improved accessibility to the Courts, including to address restricted accessibility to courtrooms 1 and 2 for people with physical disabilities

Young Lawyer of the Year - David Kelly

David began his career as an Associate to Justice Peek of the Supreme Court of South Australia and since entering practice, he has acted for diverse clients in the Magistrates, District, Supreme, Federal Circuit, Federal, and High Court, including as an instructing solicitor in the longest running civil case tried in South Australia in 2018-2019.

David has undertaken an Adelaide University sponsored research project on whether pre-action protocols have assisted matters to settle earlier, and reported on over 100 court decisions. David mentors senior law students and recent graduates and contributed to a guide for emerging lawyers about managing expectations when transitioning to the profession.

David has been an active member of the Society’s Civil Litigation Committee since 2015.

Mary Kitson Award (sponsored by legalsuper) - Ruth Beach

Ruth has been a champion for equality for women in the law since her admission in 1993. She was a Member of the Society’s Women Lawyers’ Committee for 15 years, including a three-year term as the Chair, and a member of the Women Lawyer’s Association (SA). Ruth also represented the Society on the Law Council’s Equalising Opportunities in the Law Committee for four years. This was a formative time for initiatives to address gender inequity.

As a South Australian Director of Australian Women Lawyers she played a crucial role in drafting the Equitable Briefi ng Policy.

Ruth has also been a member of the Women’s Legal Service committee both in Queensland and South Australia, is the inaugural Women Lawyers Association Support Person on bullying and harassment, and has mentored many women lawyers from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Bulletin awards

Bulletin Article of the Year - Madi McCarthy & Professor Tania Leiman

The article “Sex with Robots: How should the law respond?” examines the development of technology that facilitates new forms of intimate connection, surveys the moral and ethical landscape surrounding the technology, and looks at how the law is starting to grapple with this issue and how it might deal with it as it becomes more integrated into modern life.

Special Interest Article of the Year - Amy Nikolovski

Amy’s deeply personal article “It’s ok to grieve, and to reach out for support” recounts the heartbreak of having a miscarriage and is sure to inspire more people to talk about their own experiences of grief, which will, in turn, help them to fi nd the support they need to help them through times of immense loss and suffering.

Premier Sponsor:

BankSA | Westpac

Major Sponsors:

legalsuper Notable Imprint

Supporting Sponsors:

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Wine Sponsor:

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Justin Stewart-Rattray (left) with Young Lawyer of the Year David Kelly, Bulletin Article of the Year co-author Madi McCarthy, The Hon Kyam Maher MLC, Bulletin Article of the Year co-author Prof Tania Leiman, and Justice Award winner Mark Douglas.

Nick Gormley (left)from Notable Imprint, Angie Nguyen from Sympli, guest speaker Roger Rasheed, Ali Kerr from Wine Direct, Law Society President Justin Stewart-Rattray, Andrew Proebstl from legalsuper and Peta Brown from BankSA | Westpac.

Attorney General, The Hon Kyam Maher MLC (middle anked by Law Society President Justin Stewart-Rattray and Law Society Chief Executive Stephen Hodder.

Roger Rasheed being interviewed by Justin Stewart-Rattray