The Law Council of Australia has just published its Equitable Briefing Policy Annual Report for the 2017-2018 Financial Year. The report shows that female barristers are starting to receive more briefs and are more often recommended for work by their colleagues in new or current matters, however, they still lag behind male colleagues when it comes to the number and value of briefs.
It found female barristers received a quarter of the 23,170 briefs reported by the 44 briefing entities for the period. During the reporting period, male barristers received 83 per cent of the total reported fees. The Chair of the Law Council’s Equal Opportunity Committee, Kate Eastman SC, said that whilst there was obvious room for improvement, the report set a foundation for the profession to continue to build upon.