Aboriginal Lawyers Committee

Welcome to the Aboriginal Lawyers Committee section of The Law Society of Western Australia website.

The Aboriginal Lawyers Committee was established by the Law Society of Western Australia in May 2010 and consists entirely of Aboriginal lawyers, law graduates and law students.

The Aboriginal Lawyers Committee was formed with the purpose of encouraging, supporting and advancing Aboriginal lawyers, law graduates and law students, as well as communicating with the legal profession and broader community on issues of importance to Aboriginal people.

The Committee’s members are June Kenny (Convenor), Karen Ward, Tammy Solonec, Nicole Casley, Krista McMeeken (student member), Hans Bokelund, Matthew Hansen and Peter Dawson (student member) who meet monthly at the Society’s offices.

Ms Kenny, a practising lawyer and Managing Director at Dwyer Durack Lawyers, is excited to be part of the history-making Committee.

“There about 60 Aboriginal law graduates from Western Australia that we are aware of who are making important contributions to the Western Australian justice system and community in general every day,” says Ms Kenny.

“Our Committee is designed to bring these professionals together socially and professionally and to foster and build the skills of our law students, graduates and practicing solicitors.”

Karen Ward, Tammy Solonec and Andrew Matthews initially met with Society President Hylton Quail in early 2010 and worked closely with the Society to facilitate the establishment of the Committee. The Society will also be assisting the Committee in its aim of establishing an Aboriginal Lawyers’ Association of Western Australia.

The Aboriginal Lawyers Committee has been working on a number of projects, including the re-establishment of the Society’s Aboriginal Mentoring Program for law students in their penultimate and final years of law at the Western Australian law schools, and plans to hold social functions for Aboriginal lawyers, law students and graduates, and the wider profession.

Find out more about the Society's Aboriginal Student Mentoring Program


Joining the Committee
Membership is limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the Law Society of Western Australia. The Aboriginal Lawyers Committee is appointed by the Society’s Council based upon a recommendation from the Committee from those people who have expressed an interest. The Society generally asks for expressions of interest from members to join Society committees every two years, though members can express an interest at any time.

Expressions of Interest - Law Student Member of Aboriginal Lawyers Committee

There is a vacancy in the membership of the Aboriginal Lawyers Committee.

To obtain further information about the Committee or to express an interest in joining the Committee, please contact Committee Secretary Andrea Lace at the Society on (08) 9322 7877 or email alace@lawsocietywa.asn.au

Terms of Reference - Aboriginal Lawyers Committee (80 KB)