Young lawyers leading for change
22 November 2025
Early career lawyers who are already leading the way by identifying and addressing gaps in support for the profession and the community were honoured in Brisbane last night.
“Each year we recognise an outstanding individual young lawyer and young lawyer organisation,” Law Council of Australia President, Juliana Warner said. “And each year the task of our judging panel is made difficult by the calibre of the nominees – who are all doing exceptional work and making a real difference.
“The winner of the Australian Young Lawyer Award for 2025 is Alexandra Einfeld. Alexandra is based in NSW, but the impact of her initiative is being felt across Australia and beyond.
“An emerging leader in international arbitration, Alexandra saw there was a gap in support for the career development of arbitration practitioners. Rather than simply accept this shortcoming, Alexandra set out to fix it.
“Alexandra innovatively created opportunities for practitioners in arbitration by developing the Australian Network for Arbitrators and Tribunal Secretaries. She has also led other projects, including the Arbitration Updates website, centralising information about global arbitration initiatives; and the Oceania portfolio of Young ITA (Institute for Transnational Arbitration), contributing to arbitration opportunities in the Pacific region.
“She has made substantial contributions to the community by adding value, knowledge and experience to the Australian arbitrator community and to not-for-profit teams, such as Oxfam.
“It is a fitting coincidence that this Award is going to an arbitration practitioner this year as it coincides with another milestone in the arbitration community. The Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, where Alexandra started her arbitration career, marks its 40th anniversary in 2025.”
Of being named Australian Young Lawyer of the Year, Ms Einfeld said: “This award is incredibly meaningful because it reflects a body of work that grew directly out of the experiences and needs of young arbitration practitioners around the country.
“While the award recognises my leadership in this area, it also represents contributions of many other people to those projects. One of the reasons Australian lawyers continue to have an outsized impact globally is that our community is filled with people who are generous with their time and genuinely committed to supporting others.”
The winner of the 2025 Australian Young Lawyer Organisation Award was also announced at last night’s event. The NSW Young Lawyers (NSWYL) was recognised for the development of its Pro Bono Guide titled Demystifying Pro Bono: Contributing to Closing the Access to Justice in New South Wales.
"The provision of pro bono hours by the legal profession is essential to access to justice in this country,” Ms Warner said.
“This guide helps ensure future generations of lawyers are equipped with the knowledge to contribute to their community through pro bono work.”
NSWYL Immediate Past President, Taylah Spirovski said of the recognition: “It’s an incredible honour for NSW Young Lawyers to be recognised for our work in promoting access to justice. This award highlights the power of collaboration, and the passion young lawyers bring to social impact initiatives.
“The Demystifying Pro Bono Guide was created to make pro bono work more approachable for young lawyers, to show that every practitioner – no matter the stage in their career or practice area – can meaningfully contribute to addressing the challenges in their communities. It’s about giving the next generation of legal professionals the tools, confidence, and inspiration to use their skills for good.”
Contact: Kristen Connell, P. 0400 054 227, E. kristen.connell@lawcouncil.au
Last Updated on 28/11/2025
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