Community, Diversity and Equality
We lead by example when it comes to diversity and inclusion in our community. At BTLawyers we have a progressive mindset and social agenda. We support a number of initiatives that focus on community, diversity and equality. Our commitment to ensuring we positively impact our profession, clients and community is absolute.
LGBTIQ+ Community
BTLawyers is proud to support the LGBTIQ+ Community. In 2019 we teamed up with Pride in Law – an association dedicated to the LGBTIQ+ legal community. Formed in 2017, Pride in Law is a not-for-profit independent networking association organised and run by volunteers. Pride in Law continues to seek to erase homophobia, gender inequality, and other affronts to individuals, families, and communities by educating the legal community about LGBTIQ+ issues.
Diversity and Inclusion
Our Directors and Principals take personal responsibility for educating the legal practitioners in the firm in relation to diversity, anti-discrimination legislation, harassment, bullying, inclusion, sustainability and unconscious bias.
In addition to formal education initiatives, our Directors and Principals at BTLawyers actively demonstrate our core values. We believe this is the most effective means of creating a sustainable and healthy workplace culture.
In 2019, BTLawyers was recognised as an exemplary firm for equity and diversity. We were awarded the Diversity & Inclusion Award – small legal practice, by the Queensland Law Society (QLS).
The award recognises QLD law firms which promote a sustainable, healthy and inclusive workplace culture.
Our team comes from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. We believe the hiring decisions we make underpin the importance of anti-discrimination and promote an acute awareness of unconscious bias.
Furthermore, the firm strongly supports recruiting from a range of ethnic backgrounds. This is evidenced by the fact that approximately 25% of our lawyers are from ethnic backgrounds, including South American, Chinese, Singaporean and Samoan.
Gender Equitable Briefing Policy
BTLawyers is a signatory to the Law Council of Australia National Model Gender Equitable Briefing Policy. This is an important validation to our staff and clients about our commitment to equity and diversity in the workplace.
We strive to engage a proportionate number of male and female barristers. As a result of our ongoing commitment, in 2017 we increased our briefing of female barristers from around 30% to more than 50%. We have continued to maintain a balanced ratio of female to male barristers in 2018 and 2019.
In addition to supporting the Gender Equitable Briefing Policy, we support gender diversity in the workplace. More than 70% of the BTLawyers team is female and we offer flexible working arrangements to fathers as well as mothers, demonstrating that our policies support both genders.
Giving back to the Community
We have formed several charitable partnerships to engage with community organisations that assist in gender, disability or disadvantaged groups. Our charitable contributions not only assist those in need, but promote goodwill within the team through fostering relationships and being socially responsible.
BTLawyers recognises its employees have causes important to them. We have committed to matching any approved employee fundraising to charitable organisations to a maximum value of $500 per employee per calendar year.
Pro-bono work
BTLawyers has implemented a pro-bono initiative providing legal services to disadvantaged community groups and working in conjunction with Pro-Choice Qld on assisting those in need.