In 2005, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma AO set a 25-year-goal for Australian governments to work towards bringing equality in health and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The initiative that became known as Closing the Gap has since expanded to include child mortality rates, literacy and numeracy. While progress has been made against certain indicators, that goal remains some way from being achieved.

There’s another gap that the Law Society of NSW has committed to work towards closing. A decade ago, 477 solicitors identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, representing 1.6 percent of the then 30,600 solicitors in NSW.

Since that time, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander solicitors has halved to 0.8 percent. In our last survey of solicitors, there were 350 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander solicitors in NSW.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.4 percent of the general population in NSW. Proportional representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander solicitors in the legal profession would see closer to 1,500 First Nations solicitors in NSW. This is not just about numbers. Inadequate representation of First Nations people in our profession means that their voices and perspectives may not be seen or heard to the extent that they should be.

It also means that the broader population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people don’t see themselves reflected in the profession that is central to the efficient and fair running of our justice system, putting at risk the confidence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have in that system.

As part of our NAIDOC Week event last Thursday, the Law Society launched the Indigenous Solicitors Foundation (ISF) to address financial and cultural barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people pursuing a career in legal practice.

These barriers can take many forms, including textbooks, IT equipment, the cost of Practical Legal Training, unpaid legal work, or professional attire for career opportunities. It may be that help is needed to meet the costs associated with being away from or returning to community for cultural obligations.

We invite Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people pursuing a legal career in NSW to make an application to the ISF for non-repayable financial grants to help them make the transition into legal practice.

You can read our media release on the ISF here, which includes quotes from important supporters, like Professor Jack Beetson, Ngemba man and Aboriginal education advocate, and Danielle Captain-Webb, Wiradjuri and Gomeroi woman and Law Society Councillor, who have both joined me and our CEO Kenneth Tickle as the Directors of the ISF.

I also want to thank Supreme Court Justice the Hon. Dina Yehia SC for her important support for this initiative, along with Jason Behrendt, Yuwaalaraay man and Co-Chair of our Indigenous Issues Committee, and Tony McAvoy SC, Wirdi man and Mumshirl Fund trustee.

The success of the ISF will depend on the collective support of the profession. I encourage you to learn more about the Foundation and how you or your firm can contribute to its mission of building a profession that better reflects the community it serves. Indigenous Solicitors Foundation | The Law Society of NSW

Ronan MacSweeney, President, The Law Society of NSW