Kara Cook for QLS Vice President

Two years ago I was honored to be elected by my peers to the Queensland Law Society (QLS) Council. It has been a steep learning curve but I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and have valued the opportunity to represent my profession and its members.

This election, I am nominating for the position of Vice President.

In nominating for Vice President, my priority is to be a strong advocate for the profession and be truly representative of members’ interests.

For those who are unfamiliar with the QLS Council and executive team, QLS is governed by an elected Council of 12 members, with an additional Council member appointed by the Attorney-General with all positions becoming vacant every two years.

This year the QLS election is hotly contested. There are multiple candidates for all executive positions including President, Deputy President and Vice President.

The President leads the Council in setting the corporate direction and goals and monitoring the performance of the Society. Each QLS President is elected for a term of one year, with the Deputy President succeeding to the office of President at the beginning of the second year.

Council has a number of roles including:-

• setting the strategic direction for the Society through the approval of the Strategic Plan and Budget and guides policy for more than 10,000 members;

• ensuring the good governance of the Society and reviews and endorses corporate activities; and

• operating pursuant to the Council charter with meetings held about every two months in addition to attending events and sub-committee meetings convened as required.

Being a member of Council requires a high level of commitment and focus. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on Council to date.

I believe that I can make an even greater contribution to QLS members as Vice President and as part of the executive team.

Over the past two years I have taken a proactive role as Councillor and contributed to QLS and the profession in the following ways:-

• Council Member of QLS;

• Member of QLS Family Law Committee;

• Member of QLS Committee of Management;

• Member of QLS Domestic and Family Violence “Not Now, Not Ever” Working Group;

• Director of Queensland Law Foundation;

• Member of Law Council of Australia Legal Assistance Working Group;

• Mentor for Law Students through the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland and Griffith University mentoring programs;

• Committee Member QLS Early Career Lawyers (2014);

• Committee Member Women Lawyers Association of Queensland (2014);

• Committee Member Law Council of Australia Young Lawyers Committee (2014);

• Fundraising for the Melanoma Institute of Australia; and

• Fundraising for Women’s Legal Service Queensland.

I have also been very humbled and fortunate to be awarded the following awards:-

• 30 Best Lawyers in Australia Under 30 – Lawyers Weekly June 2015;

• 50 Best & Brightest in Queensland - Courier Mail December 2014;

• Australian Young Lawyer of the Year - Law Council of Australia September 2014;

• Queensland’s 125 Leading Women - YWCA November 2013; and

• Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year - Women Lawyers Association of Queensland 2012

I am committed to QLS and the profession and would value the opportunity to continue my journey on Council as Vice President in 2016.

Thank you to those members who have already given me their support in the upcoming election and I look forward to meeting those of you whose path I am yet to cross.

QLS Council election voting opens to members Wednesday 7 October 2015.

Short biography available on QLS election website:-

"Kara has worked in large, small, regional and metropolitan firms. She is Principal Solicitor of Women’s Legal Service, a specialist Community Legal Centre in the areas of Family Law and Domestic Violence. Kara is a strong advocate for members’ issues, including law reform. Kara has a special interest in mentoring particularly for early career lawyers and women. She has been a member of the QLS Committee of Management, Family Law, Early Career Lawyers and the Law Council of Australia Young Lawyers Committees. She has also contributed to the QLS Domestic Violence and Law Council of Australia Legal Assistance Funding working groups. Kara is currently a Director of the Queensland Law Foundation and devotes spare time to her daughter, Women Lawyers Association of Queensland and Griffith University Mentoring Programs and fundraising for the Melanoma Institute of Australia. In 2014 Kara was awarded Law Council of Australia, Australian Young Lawyer of the Year."