The State Solicitor’s Office has formally adopted the Law Council of Australia’s Equitable Briefing Policy, a voluntary initiative designed to drive cultural change within the legal profession, support career development, and address the significant pay gap and underrepresentation of women at the Australian Bar.
The policy encourages adoption by Briefing Entities – which can include corporations, law firms, government bodies, partnerships, or any organisation that briefs Australian barristers – and by individual barristers. Under the policy, adoptees commit to briefing women barristers in at least 30 per cent of all briefs and ensuring they receive at least 30 per cent of the total value of all brief fees.
SSO State Counsel Jean Shaw SC told Brief the adoption represents an important milestone for promoting diversity within the profession.
“SSO has an incredibly talented internal pool of lawyers who practise as counsel and at least half of them are women,” Shaw said.
“However, with the evolving nature and size of litigation involving State government, the need to brief external counsel in a variety of areas has increased significantly over recent years.
“By committing to equitable briefing practices when we brief external counsel on behalf of SSO clients, we’re helping to ensure fairer opportunities for all barristers. While, in relative terms, it is a small step towards promoting greater equality within the profession, it is one SSO can be proud of.”
The adoption of the policy aligns with broader efforts by the Law Council to promote diversity, inclusion, and fairness across Australia’s legal profession.
Reporting portal now open
The Law Council has opened its portal for the 2024–2025 annual reporting period, inviting adoptees to submit reports by 30 September 2025. To support this process, the Council has provided a comprehensive Reporting Template and Guidelines document.
All reports submitted will be treated as confidential, with data subsequently aggregated and de-identified for publication in a final report summarising progress across all adoptees.
Links to the portal for barristers and Briefing Entities are provided below:
