Let’s get one thing straight: lawyer mums are, without exception, the heroes of our category. If you’re part of the legal profession and you make the breakfast, sign the excursion form, check the court filing, and still get your kid to Book Week in costume, well, you're doing God's work - whether you're a Mum, a Dad, an Auntie or Uncle, or a fur-Mama or Papa. Attending this year’s Connecting Lawyer Mums Inspire Awards Gala as a finalist and then winning the ‘Ally of the Year’ award amongst a constellation of remarkable women was truly one of the most gratifying events in my professional career.
I want to give my loudest, most sparkling congratulations to all nominees, finalists and winners for this year's CLM Inspire Awards. Thanks to Lauren Cassimatis and her Board and Judges, this event is a love letter to those who do the tough, thoughtful work of progressing the legal profession for women and working parents. In a room of over 200, I felt like I was enveloped by the warmth of so many ‘frients’ (that’s friends-and-clients, to the uninitiated). Extra snaps are due for my Ruby Assembly ‘frient’ finalists: Susan Hamilton-Green (Creative Family Law Solutions) and Megan Caines and Divina Moodley (Polaris Lawyers). It’s nothing pretty special to be surrounded by peers I know and champion. Attending solo sans husband-lawyer and kiddos didn’t mean I felt alone; the sudden (and unexpected) cheer when my name was called as a finalist gave me goosebumps and a deep sense of belonging.
But what truly set the 2025 event apart? The opportunity to hear three Justices speak not just as dignified legal minds, but as women with their varied lived experiences. Having sat through a lot of industry events, the insights from the Justices’ panel were the most authentic, generous and personally revealing I’ve ever heard at a legal gathering. There is a rare frisson in seeing women at the very top of their field speak as themselves, which was evident to all who were lucky enough to witness it. In particular, the Hon. Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson - with her powerful energy, real politik comments about parenting and hearty laugh - was a delight to witness.
This year has seen me hitting the road (and the air!) more than ever: LawBizCon, Smokeball Spark and various Lawyers Weekly Awards programs and conferences. Each trip has allowed me to gather with lawyer ‘frients’ face-to-face—the memes and Slack DMs can only take you so far, after all. Being away from my 1 and 4 year olds for a night or two also allows me to replenish the sleep bank and Netflix true crime quota. While in Brisbane, I snuck in a productive co-working day at Clarence (gorgeous view, supreme hospitality, big ticks).
None of this would be possible without Lauren Cassimatis of Gallant Law, whose heart-led vision and commitment to collegiality is the secret sauce of these events. Lauren, thank you for creating an environment where, lawyer or not, anyone who is committed to the flourishing of women and families in law is welcomed as a peer and ally.
As someone who’s not a practising lawyer, but is deeply invested in the profession’s renewal, winning Ally of the Year feels like both an honour and a call to even greater mischief and advocacy. So, here’s to all of us on the journey to a more inclusive legal community. Events such as these are a win for all of us.
