In this article, we pay tribute to the female legal trailblazers of Queensland and share our thoughts as to why their rise is good for the industry as a whole.
At Alex Correa Executive, we are a female led business with a passion for diversity and inclusion. Having said that, we proudly count many male lawyers and business leaders as clients, candidates, colleagues and close friends. Any tribute we pay here in no way diminishes their contribution to the industry!
At the time, the number of high-achieving female law graduates had surged. Many excelled in communication, interpersonal engagement, and overall presentation, skills highly prized in interview settings. As a result, they often outperformed their male peers during the graduate recruitment process.
But while women were dominating at entry level, the same could not be said for senior roles in law. Leadership appointments whether in-house or at partner level were still overwhelmingly male. It was clear there was a disconnect between the pipeline of emerging talent and who was making it to the top.
Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing the long-term impact of that early shift. Many of those impressive female graduates have steadily progressed through the ranks. They’ve built credibility, developed commercial depth, and are now stepping confidently into senior leadership roles. The change has been steady, but it’s been profound.
Corporate Australia, including a number of progressive law firms have played a role in driving this transformation, with increasing focus on gender balance at leadership level. In fact, in a recent General Counsel appointment, we once again found ourselves advocating for gender balance to ensure strong male candidates were included.
The shift in dynamics is something to be celebrated. It speaks not only to the depth of talent in our profession, but also to the benefits of sustained investment in diverse graduate cohorts. The Queensland legal industry is better for it more representative, more inclusive, and more equipped to meet the challenges of modern leadership.
Progress hasn’t happened by accident. It’s the result of decades of hard work, cultural shifts, and because courageous female leaders have paved the way for others and fostered opportunities for those that followed. In this article, we want to acknowledge a few of those women, explore what they have in common, and explain why increased female leadership benefits the entire legal profession.
Recognising Queensland’s Female Legal Trailblazers
Justice Susan Kiefel
Left school at 15 to become a legal secretary and made it all the way to Chief Justice! She became Queensland’s first female Queen’s Counsel in 1987 and went on to become a Judge of the High and Federal Court. Susan Keifel’s career path demonstrates that leadership positions can come from unconventional beginnings.
Debbie Kilroy OAM
Once incarcerated herself, Debbie went on to become a qualified lawyer and the founder of Sisters Inside, an organisation that champions the rights of women in the criminal justice system. Her lived experience and relentless advocacy for prison reform have made her a national voice for justice and equality.
Terri Janke
Founder and Solicitor-Director of Terri Janke & Company, Terri is widely recognised as a leading authority in Indigenous cultural and intellectual property law. Her firm is one of the few Indigenous-owned practices in Australia, and she has been instrumental in shaping culturally respectful legal frameworks for First Nations communities.
Senator Larissa Waters
Before becoming a trailblazing federal politician and the first woman to breastfeed in Parliament, Larissa was an environmental lawyer at Freehills. As a leader of the Greens, she has consistently advocated for women’s rights, environmental justice, and integrity in public life.
Cecelia Christensen
Queensland’s first female Crown Solicitor, Cecelia’s legal career has been rooted in long-term public service including executive roles with Queensland Treasury and Crime and Corruption Commission. Her recent pioneering appointment will no doubt contribute in shifting the landscape of government legal leadership.
Genevieve Dee
Currently President of the Queensland Law Society (as of March 2025), Genevieve has held significant leadership roles in the judiciary, including in the Children’s Court. Her career reflects a deep commitment to both justice and the profession’s future.
Kara Cook
Now the Federal Member for Bonner, Kara started her career in community legal centres. Her transition from grassroots law to politics underscores the broader influence legal leaders can have in shaping public policy. We interviewed Kara for our Friends in Law podcast when she was a Brisbane City Councillor. Her advice to young female lawyers was that “You don’t have to behave with masculine characteristics to get through, you can be empathetic and be a really strong leader”
Tracey Greenaway
Tracey is a globally experienced energy and resources partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, named Energy & Resources Partner of the Year in 2025. She has global experience in a traditionally male dominated sector.
Common Threads, Diverse Paths
One of the most inspiring observations from these women’s journeys is that there is no single “pathway” to leadership. Some began in top-tier firms (like Larissa Waters and Cecelia Christensen), while others forged their careers in advocacy and community legal work (like Kilroy, Janke, and Cook).
What unites them from my perspective is:
- A strong sense of purpose in their work.
- A commitment to advocacy and reform.
- The courage to pursue leadership in sometimes male-dominated sectors of the profession.
Why Female Representation at Leadership Levels Matter More Than Ever
Gender Composition of Solicitors in Queensland (to 30 June 2023)
From the Queensland Law Society's practising certificate data there are more female lawyers than men. qls.com.au:
Category Female Male % Female
Total solicitors 7,846 5,942 57%
Age <30 1,631 793 67%
Age 30–39 2,587 1,431 64%
Private practice 5,676† 4,431 56%
According to the AFR in July 2024 women now make up over 40% of partners in Australian law firms, and female law graduates have outnumbered men for more than a decade.
Specifically, some law firms are really making headway in female representation, for example:
- Lander & Rogers: has a high percentage of female partners, with 47.1% of their partners being women.
- EY: has the highest percentage of female partners in its legal division at 54.5%.
- Other firms with a high percentage of female partners: include Seyfarth Shaw, Russell Kennedy Lawyers, and firms with over 40% female partners like Allens, Ashurst, and others.
- Firms who have had or have female managing partners in Australia include
- Baker McKenzie – Anne‑Marie Allgrove
- Norton Rose Fulbright – Alison Deitz.
- MinterEllison – Michelle Power
- Lander & Rogers – Genevieve Collins Chief Executive Partner
Why is it important? Because visibility matters. “If you can see it, you can be it.”
For young women entering the profession today, seeing female judges on the bench, female managing partners at top tier firms, and female General Counsels at ASX-listed companies affirms that leadership roles are possible and within reach regardless of gender.
The more women in roles at those levels, the more young lawyers are inspired to make courageous career decisions and to say yes to significant opportunities as they arise. We look forward to the day when gender no longer plays any part in your career trajectory at all, regardless of your stage of life or other responsibilities.
What is Changing?
The growth in female leadership has influenced how law firms approach work-life balance and inclusion:
- More firms now offer customised parental leave, not just for women.
- Male leaders have shifted from old fashioned perceptions and have come to understand diversity delivers business benefits for problem solving innovation and productivity. Many smart and senior men have become allies and identified talented female lawyers to mentor and promote.
- Flexibility has become a strategic retention tool available to all regardless of parental responsibilities or gender, not just a “perk.”
- Firms have become better at identifying talent at a junior level and including all genders in talent pipelines and succession planning. By including emerging talent from the female cohort many lawyers have been supported with their ambitions in their area of interest even in male dominated specialisations.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ), stakeholder management, and communication skills which can be areas where many female leaders naturally shine are increasingly seen as leadership essentials, not optional extras.
These shifts benefit everyone. Male lawyers, non-binary professionals, parents, grandparents, and carers of all walks of life gain from policies originally championed through the lens of gender diversity and inclusion.
Challenges Remain
Despite these gains, some barriers persist. Societal expectations around caregiving still weigh heavily on women. Many talented female lawyers face the “double burden” of career advancement and family care. This still impacts decisions about when or even whether to have children to lessen the impact on their career.
Unconscious bias also remains an issue in senior hiring. While many firms are proactively investing in bias awareness training, subtle preferences and outdated assumptions can still influence appointments, shortlists and promotion decisions.
Where to from Here?
Over the next five years, at Alex Correa Executive, we hope to see:
- Greater support for sponsorship and mentoring programs that help emerging female leaders navigate their careers.
- Continued momentum around tailored flexibility not a one-size-fits-all model for all life stages and genders.
- More recognition that female leadership is not a checkbox, but a cultural and strategic advantage.
- The legal sector progresses to a utopian point where the best person for a role is chosen purely on capability with gender no longer a factor at all!
To the next generation of lawyers and especially women, know this:
- Your leadership matters. There’s a seat at the table for you, and many brilliant legal minds have paved the way to help you claim it.
- And to the firms and organisations shaping the future of our profession:
Embrace diverse leadership not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes your business better, for all of your employees, clients and stakeholders. - The profession we help build today is the one the next generation will inherit.
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