Senior Managers and Portfolio Managers
Portfolio Teams
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Events and initiatives targeting social justice issue and, raising awareness of careers within government agencies and in criminal law. Aims to provide greater networking and mentoring opportunities with organisations such as Legal Aid and the ODPP.
Membership, Media & Communications
Assisting with the delivery of events and initiatives by preparing marketing materials and social media content, managing DWL’s social media platforms in consultation with event teams, maintaining data and precedents within DWL’s database, conducting analysis of survey and feedback received from DWL members, and undertaking certain projects such as the DWL podcast.
Commercial Law
Events and initiatives to promote commercial law careers, in particular clerkship and graduate positions at commercial firms. Initiatives include workshops for preparing job applications, honing interview skills and developing a personal brand.
Policy & Strategy
Developing DWL's strategic projects through research and analysis, identifying growth opportunities for DWL, developing policy initiatives to raise awareness on the structural barriers faced by Diverse Women through data collection, research and reporting.
Our Team - Senior Managers
Carol Younes
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Rachael Wong
Policy and Strategy
Tara Reddy
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Vanessa Goncalves
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Isha Caufield
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Belinda Hughes
Memberships, Media and Comms
Kara Ramsay
Commercial Law
Hear from our team
“Young lawyers should not have to compromise their values for stereotypes of what lawyers should be, what hours they should work or how much of their life they should sacrifice to be considered good enough. I join DWL to show that difference in perspective, worldview, background and aspirations is critical in the growth of the legal profession"
— Rema Hamdan
"There is no quantifiable or measurable value that can be placed on women in the legal profession having a network to turn to, to voice their concerns, having support from women who have walked in their shoes, or simply having someone to talk to who understands what it means to be a diverse woman in the law. I joined DWL because when I started my legal career 10 years ago, the support offered in the industry did not focus on or acknowledge diversity. I want to provide the support that I didn’t receive when I first joined the profession"
— Sonia Chandra
“I strongly believe that for this industry to continue to grow, develop and progress, it requires diversity of people, backgrounds, thought and perspective. I think that there is a particularly important role for DWL to play in the younger demographic and that it is vital for diverse female high school and university students to be provided with increased access to resources and networks in the industry, and exposure to potential career opportunities. I am keen to break down misconceptions about the legal industry, establish early networks for students, cultivate interest in a seemingly exclusive legal field and empower the voices of Diverse Women in the law”
— Jessica Ortner
“Being raised by immigrant parents and in an immigrant community, I was taught the value of hard work and perseverance - both attributes that have served me well as a lawyer! This Harmony Day, I reflect on my strengths and unique perspectives that I bring to the table, and how important it is for diverse communities to trust that their interests will be properly represented and protected by the profession. Through my DWL involvement, I look forward to fostering networks for advice, guidance and mentorship for diverse women in the profession”
— Mrith Shanker
Our Team - Portfolio Managers
Halima Ansari
Commercial Law
Jessica Pereira
Membership, Media and Communications
Wendy Acevedo
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Maria Bletsas
Memberships, Media and Communications
Gopika Aryand
Policy and Strategy
Navina Samuel
Policy and Strategy
Nina Prica
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Sivanjali Karalasingham
Commercial Law
Amy Warren
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Aniela Haigh
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Emma Wei
Memberships, Media and Communications
Nidhi Saharan
Policy and Strategy
Isha Fay
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Aanya Das
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Rhea Stafidas
Memberships, Media and Communications
Ali Gunning
Memberships, Media and Communications
Elisa Wong
Memberships, Media and Communications
Emi Gallego
Commercial Law
Ankita Rao
Commercial Law
Mirna Zeini
Criminal Law and Social Justice
Francesca Lai
Memberships, Media and Communications
Quyen Nguyen
Policy and Strategy
Olivia Cen
Policy and Strategy