Equitable briefing targets met for first time – and more diversity work underway
13 April 2026
For the first time since it was introduced a decade ago, both targets under the Law Council of Australia’s Equitable Briefing Policy have been achieved.
“The Policy sets a goal for women barristers to receive at least 30 per cent of all briefs and 30 per cent of the value of all brief fees,” Law Council of Australia President, Tania Wolff said.
“While the profession has met the brief targets in recent years, the value target has remained out of reach – until now.”
The latest annual report shows that, based on figures provided by barristers and briefing entities, women barristers received 32 per cent of briefs and 31 per cent of brief fees during the 2024–2025 reporting period.
“This is a significant milestone. It reflects sustained effort across the profession to drive cultural change and improve equality,” Ms Wolff said.
“However, progress against the targets must be matched by strong participation in reporting. A decline in reporting rates this year is a concern, and there is more work to do to ensure the data accurately reflects practice across the profession.
“We are taking steps to strengthen reporting processes and support greater participation in future years.”
Last month, the Law Council published the final report of the Second Review of the Equitable Briefing Policy, which made eight recommendations to clarify and strengthen annual reporting.
“We are also undertaking important work to better understand the diversity of the legal profession and how to support practitioners across their careers,” Ms Wolff said.
“The National Attrition and Re-Engagement Study Plus (NARS+), being conducted by the University of New South Wales, builds on our landmark National Attrition and Re-engagement Study from over a decade ago, which informed the development of our Equitable Briefing Policy.
“The findings will deepen our understandings of attrition and engagement across different groups of lawyers and help shape future workforce strategies. This work is critical to ensure the profession reflects – and can effectively serve – the community.
“I encourage members of the profession to provide their views before the survey closes on 24 April 2026.”
Further information about the study, including a link to the survey, is available on the Law Council’s website.
Contact
Kristen Connell
T. 0400 054 227
E. kristen.connell@lawcouncil.au
Last Updated on 17/04/2026
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