How Australian Law Firms Are Advancing Diversity & Inclusion

How Are Australian Law Firms Building More Inclusive and Diverse Legal Teams?

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have become strategic imperatives rather than token efforts. According to the Law Society of New South Wales, creating an equitable workplace, regardless of gender, sexuality, culture, disability or age leads directly to “better business outcomes for the legal profession.” This message is being reinforced by industry data: a 2024 report in The Australian revealed that gender-balanced partnerships not only improved retention but also deepened client relationships, with the proportion of female equity partners climbing above 30% for the first time.

What Australian firms are doing: initiatives & programs

Many of the country’s top firms are putting structured inclusion strategies in place rather than relying on ad hoc goodwill. For instance, Gilbert + Tobin is participating in the Diversity Council Australia’s “RISE” project to increase the representation of culturally and racially marginalised women in leadership roles. At Corrs Chambers Westgarth, the firm has introduced 40:40:20 gender targets—forty percent women, forty percent men, and twenty percent any gender—and offers 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave supported by its internal “Network of Women.” Meanwhile, Hall & Wilcox has established employee networks for gender equality, LGBTQ+ allies, parents and carers, and First Nations inclusion, while maintaining flexible work arrangements for all staff.

These programs demonstrate how Australian firms are moving beyond awareness to embed inclusion in leadership pipelines and everyday culture.

Challenges and how firms are navigating them

Progress hasn’t been linear. As reported by Law Society Journal, some Australian firms have scaled back their DEI programs under cost pressures and market uncertainty. Yet those making meaningful strides treat diversity not as a PR exercise but as a core business function. Successful firms:

• Integrate DEI goals into talent pipelines and promotion frameworks.
• Measure outcomes such as gender ratios in leadership and attrition rates rather than focusing only on recruitment.
• Address intersectionality across gender, race, disability, and socioeconomic background.
• Hold leaders accountable through public reporting and transparent metrics.

By aligning DEI with performance outcomes, firms maintain momentum even in challenging times.

How your firm can build a genuinely inclusive legal team

1. Set measurable goals – Define internal targets for representation and leadership participation across gender, First Nations, and disability inclusion.
2. Embed inclusion into every process – Incorporate inclusive practices into recruitment, mentoring, and promotions. The Law Society of NSW provides practical guidelines for embedding cultural diversity into hiring and retention.
3. Ensure visible leadership commitment – Partners and senior counsel must advocate publicly for inclusion and celebrate progress.
4. Offer flexible work options – Remote work, part-time roles, and gender-neutral parental leave remove barriers to advancement.
5. Review, measure, and adapt – Conduct regular surveys and use exit interviews to understand hidden inequities; review data annually and iterate.

Australia’s legal industry is making slow but measurable progress toward diversity. Firms that integrate DEI into strategy not just HR, are already seeing stronger engagement, higher retention, and improved client satisfaction. Inclusion isn’t a “nice-to-have”; it’s a competitive differentiator.

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