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Do you know about the ‘bamboo ceiling’ in Australian legal workplace?

Lawyers

Lawyers Source: AAP Image/The Courier Mail, Jack Tran

Molina Swarup Asthana says that “diversity is better represented in America, in judiciary and legal profession … but if we talk about Australia things are different and diversity in judiciary and legal workplace is far less.”


molina swarup asthana, legal diversity, australia
Molina Swarup Asthana Source: Molina Swarup Asthana

Recently, one possible contender for the race of Supreme Court judge in the USA is a 48-year-old Indian-American appeals court judge, Sri Srinivasan.

Molina Swarup Asthana says that “diversity is better represented in America, in judiciary and legal profession …  but if we talk about Australia things are different and diversity in judiciary and legal workplace is far less.” 

A report, titled “The Australian Legal Profession: A snapshot of Asian Australian diversity in 2015,” prepared by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association, Inc. highlighted the ‘bamboo ceiling’ that Asians have to face in legal sphere here.

According to the report Asian Australian’s account for 9.6% of Australia’s population, 3.1% of partners in law firms, 1.6% of barristers and 0.8% of the judiciary.

Among the 6160 barristers only 94 represent the Asian Australian community.

To understand this ‘bamboo ceiling’ in detail, we talk to Molina Swarup Asthana, who is a Principal Solicitor in the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office.


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