The winners of the 2024 individual and organisation Australian Young Lawyer awards are making a difference in the lives of clients, the community and early career professionals.
Presented at the National Golden Gavel Competition in Melbourne, Kate Adnams from Brisbane was named the Australian Young Lawyer of the Year.
"The pool of nominations for the individual award in 2024 was impressive," Law Council of Australia President, Mr Greg McIntyre SC said. "I would like to commend each of the nominees.
"Kate was recognised for her commitment and contribution to helping vulnerable young people, especially those experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness."
Ms Adnams is a Senior Lawyer at LawRight's Homelessness Law practice and leads its Stable Futures for Young Queenslanders project.
"Kate is a passionate advocate for holistic, trauma informed legal services," Mr McIntyre said. "She has been instrumental in adopting innovative ways to deliver legal services to improve access to justice and outcomes for the community she serves.
"Her impact is clearly attested to by those who she works in collaboration with, including the Brisbane Youth Service, the Mater Young Adult Health Centre, and the young people she has supported since she began her career.
"Kate is a credit to the Australian legal profession and a much-deserved recipient of this award."
On being named Australian Young Lawyer of the Year, Ms Adnams said, "I am honoured to receive the Australian Young Lawyer Award for 2024. It is a privilege to work with young people in Queensland and for me, this award is recognition for the work completed everyday by lawyers who strive to make our profession one that champions the dignity and rights of each person."
The Queensland Law Society's Future Leaders Committee was recognised with the 2024 Australian Young Lawyer Organisation Award.
"The Future Leaders Committee was honoured for its development and implementation of a podcast called The Callover, which tackles topics of relevance to early-career lawyers, including mental health, ethics and professional development," Mr McIntyre said.
"This is a podcast for young lawyers by young lawyers, which aims to educate, entertain and empathise with those navigating the challenges with which they are presented within the first few years of practice.
"The podcast provides practical advice, mentoring and insights from esteemed legal professionals in a creative and accessible way.
"This is an outstanding example of how our professional organisations continually strive to support their networks, including those who are the future of our profession."
