President: Pip Muir | Vice-President: Tricia Fordyce
The February – March 1988 newsletter reflected that in the past year, “women are on the move” as more women had entered the profession, attained partnership, joined the District Court bench, had been appointed as Queen’s Counsel, a woman had been appointed as Master of the High Court, and another as an Ombudsman.
At an AWLA social evening in February, filmmaker Katherine Findlay shared her experiences in producing and directing “First Lady of Law” a documentary about Ethel Benjamin. The documentary detailed the struggle and resistance she faced in pursuing a career in law.
The February – March 1988 newsletter shared a letter from Ethel Benjamin dated 19 September 1907. This was in response to a letter sent to her disproving her advertising legal services, a necessity due to the difficulty attracting clients as a woman. Benjamin responded to the Wellington District Law Society resolution against advertising in support of the ability to advertise her services, stating “I therefore regret that I cannot conform to your rule … I reserve the right to conduct my business as I think desirable”.
In March, Susan Da Silvia, Coordinator for the Child Abuse Prevention Society spoke to AWLA members about her work with the association in preventing child abuse.