Nicholes Family Lawyers was recently featured in Portia, the annual journal and report of Victorian Women Lawyers (VWL). Both VWL and Portia aim to address gender equality in the legal industry. Nicholes Family Lawyers is a proud associate sponsor of VWL.
Equality in the Profession
Our Partner, Sally Nicholes, was featured in an article addressing the professional boundaries that women in the law face today. Sally identified reduced pay, delayed elevation to senior positions, and demanding domestic obligations as issues disproportionately affecting female lawyers, as compared to their male counterparts.
Sally highlighted strategies implemented by Nicholes Family Lawyers to ensure our lawyers maintain an appropriate work/life balance, including flexible work arrangements, ongoing wellbeing programs, and a balanced team structure allowing for a shared workload.
The History of VWL
Our Associate, Claire Walczak, appeared in The History of VWL commemorating the 2013 submission by VWL to the Australian Human Rights Commission on its Pregnancy and Return to Work National Review. Claire is an active member of VWL.
Events: ‘Resourcing Yourself: Professionally and Personally’
Nicholes Family Lawyers was also acknowledged for hosting the event, ‘Resourcing Yourself: Professionally and Personally’. This insightful event discussed vicarious trauma affecting lawyers (particularly family lawyers) and allied professionals who deal with vulnerable clients, and the strategies available to deal with such exposure.
The panel, moderated by our Sally Nicholes, featured Dr Catherine Boland, clinical psychologist, Abigail Sullivan and Helen Matthews of Women’s Legal Service Victoria, Dr Melanie Heenan, Executive Director of Court Network, and Judge Evelyn Bender of the Federal Circuit Court. Each of the women spoke to their respective experiences and provided insight into how to ameliorate the harms associated with vicarious trauma. This event drew a large audience and was a great success.
Nicholes Family Lawyers thank VWL for featuring us in its 2016 edition of Portia.