Danielle Captain-Webb: First Nations Pathways Into the Legal Profession
Danielle Captain-Webb, Solicitor Advocate at Legal Aid NSW, speaks with David Woolstencroft at PIL Studio about her path into law as a Wiradjuri and Gomeroi woman and the barriers First Nations people face entering the profession. They also discuss the Indigenous Solicitors Foundation and how firms and suppliers can support it.
About this episode
"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲." On the latest episode of People in Legal, David Woolstencroft sat down with Danielle Captain-Webb, a Wiradjuri and Gomeroi woman. She is Solicitor Advocate leading Legal Aid NSW's statewide Coronial Inquest Unit, First Nations Practitioner-in-Residence at The University of Sydney Law School, and the first Aboriginal person elected to the Council of The Law Society of NSW.
Key takeaways
• Danielle came into law through a pre-law bridging program after her dad picked up a law application at an Indigenous Careers Expo.
• After law school, the cost of PLT and admission was out of reach for her as a young working mum, and support from the Mum Shirl Fund made her admission possible.
• The Indigenous Solicitors Foundation helps First Nations law students and lawyers overcome the financial and cultural barriers to entering and staying in the profession.
• Indigenous solicitors now make up less than 1% of NSW lawyers, and there is no practising female First Nations barrister in the state.
• The Foundation is looking for law firms and legal industry suppliers to become partners and donors.
Explore more
Law Firm Operations, Pricing & Billing