The Law Council of Australia has reported that both targets under its Equitable Briefing Policy have been achieved for the first time since the policy was introduced a decade ago. The policy sets targets for women barristers to receive at least 30 per cent of all briefs and at least 30 per cent of the value of all brief fees. According to the latest annual reporting, women barristers received 32 per cent of briefs and 31 per cent of brief fees during the 2024-2025 reporting period.
The Law Council presents this as a significant milestone in the profession’s efforts to improve equality in briefing practices. At the same time, it notes that progress against the targets needs to be matched by strong participation in reporting, and that declining reporting rates this year are a concern. The Law Council has also published the final report of the Second Review of the Equitable Briefing Policy, which made recommendations intended to clarify and strengthen their annual reporting.
The announcement also sits alongside wider work on diversity and retention in the profession. The Law Council refers to the National Attrition and Re-Engagement Study Plus (NARS+), being conducted by the University of New South Wales, which is intended to improve understanding of attrition and engagement across different groups of lawyers.