Law Council president John Corcoran bestowed Gleeson with the honour at a dinner held in Canberra last Friday.

Gleeson was heavily involved with the Law Council throughout his distinguished career. In 1968, five years after joining the bar, he became the Law Council's honorary assistant secretary, and following that he remained involved in various committees, including those focused on LAWASIA and taxation.

Granting the honorary membership, Corcoran said that Gleeson had had a distinguished career in the law, spanning four decades, during which time he had made an "immense contribution" to the profession and Australian society.

"He spent 20 years at the pinnacle of his profession as Chief Justice of New South Wales and then of the Commonwealth of Australia. In this time, his reputation for hard work, a superb intellect, succinctness and compassion has been widely recognised and greatly respected by his judicial colleagues and lawyers who have appeared in his court," he said.