Driving the representation of First Nations women at the Queensland Bar
Griffith Law School alumni Joshua Creamer and Kara Cook have established the Joshua Creamer and Kara Cook Excellence in Law award driven by their understanding of the impact a law degree can have in opening up opportunities.
The Award supports excellence among First Nations women in law and ensures that they reach the highest levels of the legal profession. It is a final-year bursary and includes significant mentoring and internship opportunities.
The impact of increasing the number of female First Nations barristers will be transformational for the law community in Queensland and most importantly the communities they represent. For Joshua and Kara the provision of this scholarship will “allow us to harness the goodwill and commitment from those in the legal fraternity and show these students that there is a community and a profession behind them.”
First Nations women are under-represented across the legal profession. Today, there are only two First Nations women at the Bar in Queensland, despite there being 1164 barristers in the State and 254 of them being women. Across Australia, there are only three First Nations Judges—The Honourable Judge Matthew Myers AM (Federal Circuit Court), Justice Lincoln Crowley (Supreme Court) and Judge Nathan Jarro (District Court of Queensland)—and there are no First Nations female judges.
Griffith Law School is committed to social justice and the law as an instrument of change.
Student Testimonial
Inaugural recipient Alicia Smyth said the scholarship would help her pursue a dream of becoming a barrister.
I’ve always had a passion for human rights and the rights of minorities. Representation is so important, and I’d love to be a part of generation that helps the legal system become a tool of empowerment for Indigenous people. Studying law at Griffith and winning this scholarship will help me make a difference.
Alicia is proud of her Torres Strait Islander and Scottish ancestry and is on track to become the first in her family to graduate from university. She is studying a Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Government and International Relations
Why this award?
On partnering with Griffith University, Kara says,
there was no other choice than Griffith – it was a natural fit. The reason we chose to study at Griffith was because of that social justice connection and the emphasis that was placed on that throughout our own studies. A Griffith law degree gives you that ability to go out and make a difference in the world.
Contact us
If you’d like to know more about partnering with Griffith Laws School to empower students, contact Griffith Advancement Manager, Nicole Zanyat on 0403 067 934.
With thanks
