FARZANA Choudhury, of Canberra Community Law, is the ACT 2019 Young Lawyer of the Year.

Her fellow nominees were: Rahul Bedi, of Maliganis Edwards Johnson; Sinead de Sousa, of IP Australia; Laura John, of the Australian Government Solicitor; Najiyah Khan, of the Department of Education; Arthur Marusevich, of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation; Monica Serci, of Watts McCray, and Gemma Sutherland, of Elringtons.

The Law Society, which made the award, commended Ms Choudhury for using the law to improve the lives of members of our community facing significant disadvantage through law reform, community engagement, and innovation.

She is a Senior Solicitor in Street Law, a program of Canberra Community Law that provides outreach legal services for people who are experiencing, or are at risk of, homelessness.

She established Street Law’s health justice partnership with the Junction Youth Health Service and works alongside health practitioners and youth work staff to address the unmet legal needs of young people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

She also established the Women in Prison Legal Empowerment Sessions, a series of legal education seminars and advice clinics with the goal of supporting and empowering women in prison.

She volunteers with several community organisations, including the Night Time Legal Advice Service, Beryl Women Inc, the Women’s Centre for Health Matters, Homeless Connect Canberra, and the International Tenants’ Day.

Government Law Award

The 2019 Government Law Award was presented to Michael Deasey, special counsel at the ACT Government Solicitor’s Office, managing the property and commercial section of the office. He was the lawyer in charge of advising the ACT on the property aspects of the Mr Fluffy legacy, developing of an equitable response to affected homeowners that was both community-focussed and compassionate.

He has advised on many major construction projects for the territory, including the University of Canberra Public Hospital, the Majura Parkway, and on most of the projects developed under the ACT Health Infrastructure Plan.

Michael has served 26 years on the Law Society’s Professional Conduct Committee (formerly the Complaints Committee), and also volunteers with the Society’s Legal Advice Bureau, giving free short legal consultations to members of the public. He also volunteers at the Canberra City Uniting Church Early Morning Centre, helping to serve breakfast to Canberra’s homeless once a week before work for the past five years.

Pro Bono Service Award

The Pro Bono Service Award has been made to Vanessa Parkins of Sparke Helmore.

The award panel recognised Proximity and King & Wood Mallesons with a “Highly Commended” certificate, for their outstanding pro bono work.

Ms Parkins is a Senior Associate at Sparke Helmore Lawyers, working in the area of CTP insurance. She regularly volunteers her time to the Women’s Legal Service Divorce Clinic, assisting disadvantaged women, some in domestic violence situations, who often do not speak English as a first language.

She has played an integral role in Sparke Helmore’s Aboriginal Wills Clinics, through which the firm aims to make a positive impact on indigenous communities through the provision of culturally appropriate wills clinics in regional and remote communities throughout Australia.

The President’s Medal

Michael Kukulies-Smith, one of Canberra’s most experienced criminal lawyers, has been presented with the 2019 President’s Medal.

Over the course of an extensive legal career, he has represented clients in all the ACT courts and tribunals, in NSW local and district courts, in the Queensland Supreme Court, and in all the Federal courts. He has taken on several matters relating to wrongful imprisonment on a pro bono basis, pursuing one such matter all the way to the High Court of Australia.

Since 2010, Michael has been chair of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, and he is often called upon to represent the Law Society in the media, in government inquiries, and in Legislative Assembly committee meetings, where he has consistently shown great dedication to advocating for better laws in the ACT.