AALA (QLD) is excited to have secured a limited number of tickets for our AALA members to Michelle Law’s sell-out comedy, Single Asian Female, at La Boite Theatre on Friday 8 March 2019. Following a blockbuster season at the Belvoir in Sydney, and stellar reviews by The Australian and The Guardian, the show returns to La Boite where it first debuted.

Join us before the show as we will also be providing refreshments at the Roundhouse Bar at La Boite Theatre.

LIMITED tickets available so secure yours now by registering at http://www.aala.org.au/event-3249414!

Former AALA President Reynah Tang and other prominent culturally diverse Australian community leaders, lawyers, politicians, academics, business people and others, including Hong Lim, Pookong Kee, Cam Nguyen, Waleed Ali, Andrew Jakubowicz, Shereen Hassan, Jen Tsen Kwok, Zed Seselja, Andrew Bushnell, and Sayed Rahmatullah Hussainizada are interviewed by the Croation National Television network for a documentary on Australian multiculturalism, Promised Land by journalist Dragan Nikolic. An engaging perspective on how modern multicultural Australia is tracking with diversity viewed from without (commentary in Croation, but all interviews in English) . See the full documentary at: https://magazin.hrt.hr/482109/zasto-su-melbourne-i-drzava-victoria-multikulturalne-meke

The P​​resident of the NSW Court of Appeal, the Hon Justice Margaret Beazley AO, stated that she was "very honoured" to to be appointed the Governor of NSW following the resignation of former Governor retired General David Hurley, who was announced as Australia's next Governor-General. Read the full story https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-13/new-nsw-governor-margaret-beazley/10711986

AALA held its End of Year Meet and Greet with keynote speaker Minal Vohra S.C. on Thursday 6 December 2019. Minal spoke thoughtfully and humorously about the challenges of arriving in Australia during the White Australia Policy and the hope she now feels in witnessing greater cultural diversity in not only the legal profession but also Victoria's ski slopes. She provided great insight into how experiencing and understanding difference makes us better lawyers and using our culturally diverse qualities to benefit our clients.

AALA Victorian President Daniel Nguyen also introduced the recently elected Victorian Committee and congratulated William Lye OAM S.C. and Cam Truong S.C. for their recent appointments as senior counsel.  

There was a great turnout and a festive buzz in the air. 

Many thanks to Baker & McKenzie for hosting the event and being one of AALA’s major sponsors. 

#culturaldiversity #aala #eoy2018' #aalaeventsmelb 

Great article in the AFR inspired by William Lye QC and Cam Truong QC becoming silk! https://www.afr.com/business/legal/victorian-barristers-take-silk-road-to-smash-bamboo-ceiling-20181203-h18oag?btis

The AALA wishes to congratulate William Lye and Cam Truong on their appointment to the inner bar. Both are AALA members who have formerly served on the AALA's committee. We wish them both a successful path ahead as silks.

The Chief Justice of Victoria, Anne Ferguson in announcing the appointment of new silks, including AALA's William Lye SC and Cam Truong SC stated that: “ideally, the composition of all levels of the legal profession would reflect the gender, cultural and ethnic diversity of Australian society.” Her Honour also stated that: “although there is a long way to go in this regard, we are edging forward to greater diversity and the Senior Counsel appointed today are part of that.”

https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/for-the-media/media-releases/announcement-of-senior-counsel-for-victoria-2018

The Hon. Tony Pagone QC presented on the topic of written advocacy in the first instalment of the Court Advocacy series run by the Victorian Asian Australian Lawyers Association and Maurice Blackburn on 28 November at the Maurice Blackburn offices.

His Honor said he was happy to see the formation of AALA. He also said that it's important to promote greater cultural diversity in the legal profession because it gives the community greater confidence in the administration of justice.

Far from it being a “boring speech by a boring chap” who practices in tax law, as His Honor self-deprecatingly suggested, it provided very interesting and practical insights on the importance of and how to go about establishing trust, writing for the reader and framing issues. Be sure to check out the relevant chapter in His Honor's splendid book “Tax Disputes” – we’ve been assured by His Honor that the presentation is much better in its written form. We look forward to the next part of the Court Advocacy series. #aala #mauriceblackburn #culturaldiversity #advocacy

The AALA extends its congratulations to our very own William Lye OAM (immediate past National Vice President and current Victorian Committee Member) and Cam Truong (former AALA Secretary) on their appointments today as Senior Counsel in Victoria by Chief Justice Ferguson.

 

The AALA would like to congratulate the Victorian President of AALA, Daniel Nguyen, who was recently re-elected to the Victorian Bar Council Committee for 2018-2019.

More information about his profile can be found in the link below : https://www.vicbar.com.au/public/about/governance/bar-council

If you are a member of the Law Institute of Victoria, please support our very own Vice-President, Molina Asthana, in her bid to be re-elected to the LIV Council at the upcoming elections.

Molina's statement can be viewed here.