Women in Law – Australian Lawyers Alliance President, on redefining success in law

Climbing the ladder… to where? Redefining success in the lawThe legal profession gives you a clear ladder to climb. What it doesn't always tell you is whether reaching the top will feel like success. featured speakerMichel MargalitNational President, Australian Lawyers Alliance The next title. The bigger matters. The higher billing target. The partnership track. For many lawyers, these have long been markers of a career moving in the right direction. But a successful legal career can be measured by more than how far you progress or how much you bill. Closing the Women in Law Forum 2026, Michel Margalit, National President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance, will challenge traditional definitions of success and explore what it means to build a career defined by meaning, advocacy and the impact you leave behind. This keynote will explore: 01 Redefining success on your own terms:Lessons from a career centred on protecting and enhancing justice, equality, freedom and individual rights – and what it means to build a career around the values that matter to you. 02 Being the advocate:What genuine advocacy looks like, from representing clients in the courtroom to using your expertise and influence beyond it. 03 Leaving it better than you found it:How a personal philosophy can shape the choices you make, the work you pursue and the contribution you leave to the profession. Because reaching the next rung of the ladder means little if it isn't taking you somewhere worth going. Whether you're building towards partnership, stepping into leadership or questioning what you want the next chapter of your career to look like, this keynote will challenge you to think beyond where you're going – and consider why you're going there. Close the Women in Law Forum 2026 with one question worth taking back to your career: What do you want your legal career to stand for? SUMMIT LINEUP All summit speakers & panelists