Diversity and inclusion are “here to stay”, says Justice Dina Yehia, and as such, now is not the time for legal professionals to be complacent or complicit.
Last month, the Parramatta & District Law Society held its Annual Dinner, which brought together local practitioners, guests, law school heads, members of the judiciary and Parliament against the backdrop of CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, western Sydney.
Headlining the event was the Honourable Justice Dina Yehia of the Supreme Court of NSW (pictured), who spoke about the importance of both mentorship and sponsorship for practitioners.
Justice Yehia, the first Supreme Court judge of Greek and Egyptian descent, spoke about the value of investing time and energy into not just mentoring but also sponsoring the next generation of lawyers.
“Actively championing another by enabling them to take on high-visibility work and key roles creates very tangible career-advancing opportunities,” Her Honour said.
“I encourage anyone who is in a senior leadership role to think about that difference, and to invest the time and energy not only into mentoring, but sponsoring junior solicitors.”
In the same address, Yehia J spoke about the importance of ensuring cultural diversity and being inclusive in all facets of legal practice.
Reflecting on her own experiences, Her Honour recounted appearing before Justice Brian Sully of the NSW Supreme Court, during a time in her career where numerous courts, magistrates, and judges had mispronounced her name, or “simply referred to me as the representative for the accused”. On this occasion, however, the judge’s associate approached her to advise that Justice Sully “wants to know how to pronounce your name. He wants to make sure that he gets your name right”.
This was in 2004, Yehia J mused, and more than 20 years since, she still remembers it as an important moment in her legal career.
“I suppose it is because it demonstrated that I was respected and acknowledged,” Her Honour said.
“Personal connections are only one way to promote [others]. The second way to accelerate progress requires systemic or structural change. By that, I mean devising programs that ensure that practitioners from diverse backgrounds remain in the profession, particularly once they get to the Bar.”
Yehia J also commented on this year’s backslide on DEI policies in the United States, which Her Honour called “disturbing”.
As reported by Lawyers Weekly earlier this year, the Trump administration is probing the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices of nearly two dozen BigLaw practices, including some with offices in Australia, which led this brand to examine whether global firms operating Down Under remain committed to DEI, and whether other BigLaw practices nationally intend to backslide on DEI.
“Maybe it’s not going to get that bad here in Australia, and I’d like to think that it will not,” Yehia J said, “but I do think that we need to guard against complacency and certainly against complicity”.
If one thinks that the actions taking place in the US have no impact, Her Honour said, “think again”.
“Adopting inclusive recruitment strategies, structuring decision making practices to be more objective in assessing job descriptions, to focus on tasks and qualifications, together with offering training, mentoring and sponsorship to diverse members of the profession, ensures that the profession has the respect and trust of the community it serves,” Her Honour said.
“Do not be intimidated by the tide against diversity and inclusion.”
“Diversity and inclusion are here to stay, and so this is no time to be complacent or complicit. Be genuinely curious about the stories of others and engage with them about their experiences. For those of you in decision-making roles, reflect on how you exercise your power, what considerations you take into account when making decisions; whether the decisions be about allocation of work, or briefing counsel, bear in mind that the pathways to inclusivity are both personal and systemic.”
“Not everyone in this room is in a leadership position or a position of power such that you can affect structural change, but [aim to] achieve change on a more personal level in the interactions that you have with others every day.”
Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in New South Wales, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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