Would it surprise you to know that today there are more women practising law in Victoria than men? Not just a few extra, either, but a solid 4.9 per cent more.
Caroline Grainger, principal lawyer at Grainger Legal, is not surprised.
“The only thing that surprises me, is the surprise that some people express when they learn that all 14 of our legal team are women!“ she said.
Data from the 2024 Victorian Legal Services Board annual report shows that the number of women working as registered lawyers in Victoria has been steadily increasing over time. It was in 2020 that women first outnumbered men as registered lawyers in Victoria, a little more than 100 years after Victoria’s parliament passed the Women’s Disabilities Removal Act, which first allowed women to join professions, become lawyers and sit on juries.
The report shows that although those who have been in the profession longest are still predominately men, 60 percent of lawyers who have been practising for 25 years or less are women. It also shows a growing cohort of lawyers identifying as non-binary.
Caroline thinks that women will continue to enter the legal profession in big numbers.
“When I first starting practising law, it was not always easy to find female barristers to brief and it was rare to appear before a female judge. Now, it would be unusual to find myself in a mediation or court room as the only female lawyer.“
Caroline wants to see an increase in diversity within the legal profession and hopes that women continue to see the law as a viable profession.
“My career as a lawyer has meant that I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know so many people within our community who have needed support or advice. To be able to assist those people in their time of need, and to do so alongside the wonderful lawyers and legal staff in our firm,is a privilege.“
