Vice-President from 2009 to 2010 and President from 2011 to 2012
Rachael Reed KC is a barrister who practises at the intersection of criminal and civil law. She is an expert in fraud, financial services and regulatory cases.
For Rachael, being involved with AWLA has been an amazing experience. Rachael first joined AWLA when she was working at the Auckland Crown prosecutor, and had two young children. She recalls AWLA as being a supportive environment where women could talk openly and without judgment, across practice areas connecting women where they might not otherwise meet. It was, and remains, an important and safe space to discuss topics such as young kids and careers, progression, diversity and part time work.
During Rachael’s time on the Committee, one memorable event was a joint AWLA/NZBA Walking the Talk workshop lead by Miriam Dean KC on career progression for women. This was attended by approximately 200 women and helped forge connections, help women take charge of their own career progression and reinforced the importance of AWLA to assist them to do so. These sessions were then rolled out to other parts of the country.
While president, Rachael and her Committee were integral in initiating the research project with AUT focussing on the progression of women to partnership in large firms, launching it with Antonia Fisher KC, who inspired the project. Rachael remembers there being strong support for the research to be undertaken, however funding the project presented difficulties. The research project was primarily funded by AWLA and proved to be an important investment, highlighting key areas where women were facing challenges in their career development and dispelling common myths that women did not wish to progress in their careers. The momentum gained from this research was, Rachael reflects, integral in motivating firms to engage in more proactive steps to move women through to partnership. Without such a calling to account on an evidenced basis, progress can stagnate.
Rachael is a firm advocate of the representation of women at senior levels of the profession. Equitable briefing remains a pertinent issue, evidenced by the lack of women acting as counsel in prominent cases before our highest courts.
One contributor to this issue is legal rankings databases, which historically and to date, often name few to no leading women lawyers on commercial and criminal defence lists. This is where AWLA’s advocacy function comes into play. There is still more work to do.
Overall, Rachael reflects positively on the wide supportive and dedicated network of women she has met through AWLA. Being on the Committee was a treasured time with enduring friendships and connections. Rachael reflects that the collegiality of women in the law empowers us all.