Those honoured include Sharon Lucas, Codi Buckskin, Nathaniel Keeler
The Law Society of South Australia recently presented two new awards – with Sharon Lucas named First Nations Lawyer of the Year, and Codi Buckskin and Nathaniel Keeler jointly winning the Outstanding First Nations Law Student – during the annual awards night.
“Aboriginal people are significantly underrepresented in the South Australian legal profession, with only 0.5% of local lawyers identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, according to the most recent National Profile of Solicitors report,” said Marissa Mackie, law society president, in a media release.
The law society’s media release provided information on this year’s awardees.
“Sharon has spent her entire legal career in the non-profit sector and has been relentless in her efforts to provide and enhance access to justice for Aboriginal people, many of whom are extremely vulnerable in their lives when she comes into contact with them,” Mackie said.
Sharon Lucas, a Wangkangurru Yarluyandi woman, began her legal career in native title law. She joined the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) in 2016.
At ALRM, she handled matters involving child protection, family law, adult guardianship, and abuse in care. She also managed the “Your Story” legal support program for Aboriginal communities during the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability.
“Seeing Sharon honoured for her service, while she has never sought any accolades for her work, will hopefully inspire others in the Aboriginal community to pursue a career in law,” Mackie said.
Codi Buckskin and Nathaniel Keeler, third-year law students, participated in the Aboriginal Law Students Mentoring Program, which links Aboriginal law students with legal practitioners for one-to-one mentoring throughout their tertiary studies.
“Both Codi and Nathaniel have demonstrated leadership qualities beyond their years,” Mackie said. “What they have gained from receiving mentorship has already been returned many times over in terms of what they have contributed to the community.”
Buckskin is a Narungga Wirangu woman, while Keeler is a Ngarrindjeri, Kokatha, Mirning, Alwa, and Mara man.
“The law needs more people like Odi and Nathaniel, who understand the challenges that vulnerable people face in achieving justice, and are committed to doing something about it,” Mackie said in the law society’s media release.
Georgina Reid and Nick Llewellyn-Jones both won the law society’s Justice Award.
A partner at MPS Law, Reid has garnered more than 25 years of experience in native title and Indigenous land matters nationwide and spearheaded negotiations resulting in vital agreements among traditional owners, governments, and other stakeholders.
Llewellyn-Jones is founder and team leader of Norman Waterhouse’s native title, resources, and renewable energy team. He has finalised native title claims in the Federal Court of Australia and represented Barngarla people in native title claims over the key regional centres.
Murtaza Ali Dostdar, the law society’s Emerging Lawyer of the Year, works at the Uniting Communities Law Centre. He has dealt with various criminal and civil law matters in a community legal centre.
Kelly Morgan, the law society’s Regional Practitioner of the Year, is managing director of Kelly Kelly Legal in Jamestown, the state’s largest regional law firm. Her passion extends to rural communities, legal education, and law reform.
Debrah Mercurio, recipient of the law society’s Pro Bono Award, is a Dentons partner focusing on litigation, dispute resolution, and migration. She has provided pro bono services with JusticeNet SA and other organisations.
Pam McEwin won the Mary Kitson award, named in honour of South Australia’s first female lawyer. The law society said McEwin has actively supported the rise of women’s representation within the legal profession.
McEwin recently retired as a senior partner at Treloar & Treloar. In this role, she handled estate litigation, estate administration, will and estate planning, probate, and elder law matters for more than four decades.
Tim Mellor, recipient of the Law Society Medal of Meritorious Service, joined the law society in 1981 and has since contributed significantly to it and the broader legal profession through his leadership and committee positions. He was the law society’s president in 2018.
The law society’s Bulletin Article of the Year Award went to “The Misuse of Artificial Intelligence and the Implications for Legal Practice” by Carlo Soliman, Eti David Moananu, and Chris Leahy.
This article discussed two recent cases in which solicitors filed documents that included AI-generated authorities and citations.
The law society’s Bulletin Special Interest Article of the Year Award went to Dentons senior associate and back-to-back winner Danielle Gilby’s “Who do you think I am? Why I’m more tired of diversity than you”.
This article detailed Gilby’s “diversity fatigue” as a bisexual and disabled lawyer and argued why those from diverse backgrounds need not do all the heavy lifting for establishing a safer and more inclusive legal profession.
