SA Law Society Legal Profession Dinner

Vale Damon Ind: A passionate lawyer & animal rights champion

Chief Justice of Australia holds court at profession’s night of nights

More than 300 people gathered to celebrate the achievements of the legal profession and hear guest speaker, The Hon Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC, at the Law Society’s Legal Profession Dinner on 2 August.

Society President Amy Nikolovski, in welcoming guests, remarked that it was fitting that the first female Chief Justice of the High Court was the guest speaker at an event where the State’s first female Attorney General was in attendance and in a year that marked the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in SA.

Ms Nikolovski herself is only the fourth female president of the Society, and, at 38 weeks pregnant at the Dinner, was certainly the first president in the Society’s 140-year history to be with child during the course of her presidency.

Chief Justice Kiefel’s wryly humorous speech detailed some particularly telling interactions with colleagues and peers that were indicative of some of the more traditional attitudes that some male practitioners had towards women in the law.

While Her Honour’s speech made some pointed observations about the experience of being a woman in the law, her timing and delivery was calibrated for maximum comic impact, and the speech was received with a rousing reception from delighted guests.

Ensuring the laughter continued throughout the night, Alex Ward performed his MC role with his usual panache and witty irreverence.

The Society is grateful to the City of Adelaide’s Ten Gigabit Network and Notable Imprint for being Major Sponsors of the Dinner, Supporting Sponsor Peter Shearer Menswear and Young Lawyer of the Year Award Sponsor PEXA. The Society would also like to thank its major sponsor Bank SA, Imperial Measures Distilling for sponsoring the Gin Bar on the night and wine sponsor Wine Direct.

YOUNG LAWYER OF THE YEAR: BRITTANY ARMSTRONG

Brittany Armstrong was an Associate at the District Court before joining Shaw & Henderson as a Criminal Lawyer. Brittany has excelled in this role, working on complex criminal trials and appeals with exceptional skill. Brittany is passionate about equality before the law and regularly does pro bono work to ensure that those who would otherwise not have access to proper legal representation are afforded their rights. Brittany is particularly interested in youth justice and the relationship between disadvantaged youth and crime. She is a strong advocate for a more effective child protection and child welfare system. Brittany recently developed a CPD about doli incapax (the presumption against age of criminal responsibility for children aged 10-14), but has been a powerful voice for increasing the age of criminal responsibility to 14. Brittany has been heavily involved in the Ice Factor program founded by Marie Shaw QC. She has coordinated numerous fundraisers, organised the Ice Factor Spectacular (a charity dinner with more than 500 guests), and organised for 200 teenagers to undergo modelling training.

Young Lawyers Committee Co-Chair Erica Panagakos (left), The Hon Justice Tim Stanley, Young Lawyer of the Year winner Brittany Armstrong, PEXA representative Daniel Roesler, and Young Lawyers Committee Co-Chair Georgia Hagias).

**Mary Kitson award winner Amy Nikolovski with her husband Tony Nikolovski**

MARY KITSON AWARD: AMY NIKOLOVSKI

Amy Nikolovski is the youngest ever female President of the Law Society and is also the youngest person to be made an Equity Partner at Duncan Basheer Hannon (age 35). By sheer example, Amy continues to advance the interests of women lawyers. Amy was a Member of the Society’s Gender Equity Working Group and was instrumental in garnering support for the gender equity reforms undertaken by the Law Society in 2015. In all her actions she reminds people of unconscious bias and the challenges that women face. She is Chair of the Society’s Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment Working Group; and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is also a Member of the Society’s Council and Executive and numerous other committees, in addition to being a Director of the Law Council of Australia and the Society’s representative on the Law Council’s Equal Opportunity in the Law Committee.

**Raffaele Piccolo (right) with Bulletin Committee Chair Alison Bradshaw**

BULLETIN ARTICLE OF THE YEAR

AI in Criminal Sentencing: a risk to our human rights?, By Raffaele Piccolo In his award-winning article, Raffaele Piccolo explores the prospect of artificial intelligence machines being used to deliver sentences to convicted criminals, and the implications this technology might have for human rights.

SPECIAL INTEREST BULLETIN ARTICLE OF THE YEAR

Can women really have it all? A perspective from a barrister & mother, By Penelope Kari

Her Honour Penelope Kari, who worked as a barrister, when her article was published, struck a chord with her honest account of life as a full-time lawyer and mother.