The winners of the 2026 Queensland Law Society (QLS) Excellence in Law Awards were announced at the annual Awards Gala held at The Star Brisbane on Saturday 22 August 2026. The event recognised outstanding contributions across 12 categories, highlighting dedication, innovation, leadership, access to justice, and service to the Queensland legal community and the public.
These awards shine a light on practitioners who exemplify “good law, good lawyers, for the public good.”
Finalists had been announced earlier in July, drawing from nominations that closed in June. Award partners included organisations such as The College of Law, Day One Recruitment, Bond University Faculty of Law, Pride in Law, Westpac, First Title, PEXA, ANZ, and Indigenous Lawyers Queensland Inc.
The 2026 Winners
Here is the full list of winners:
- Graduate Lawyer of the Year (Award Partner: The College of Law): Ishita Punj, Associate, Jones Day. Punj brings practical experience from prior roles in banking and finance, real estate, and energy and infrastructure. She is also a founding member of the Australia India Business Council’s Youth Program.
- In-house Counsel of the Year (Award Partner: Day One Recruitment): Theresa Jennings, Senior Legal Advisor, Cancer Council Queensland.
- First Nations Student Award (Award Partner: Indigenous Lawyers Queensland Inc.): Indi McKeown, Arts/Laws Student, The University of Queensland.
- Access to Justice Award (Award Partner: Bond University Faculty of Law): Simon (Sam) Tracy, Practice Director, Basic Rights Queensland. Tracy has more than seven years’ experience representing clients and overseeing Centrelink appeals. He has appeared in parliamentary inquiries on social security and employment services, and was a 2024 finalist in the QCOSS Community Impact Awards for work with regional, remote, and First Nations communities, as well as mental health justice initiatives. His team has also been involved in significant human rights litigation, including challenges to local council actions affecting people experiencing homelessness.
- Pro Bono Team of the Year: Lander & Rogers. The firm has a longstanding pro bono practice focused on First Nations justice, climate and just transitions, people forcibly displaced, and gender-based violence, with contributions from partners, lawyers, and business services professionals.
- Pride in Law Award (Award Partner: Pride in Law): Julie Howes, Director/Principal Solicitor, LGBTI Legal Service Inc. Howes was one of the founders of the service in 2009 (initially volunteer-run and the first dedicated LGBTQIA+ legal service in Australia). Since returning in late 2024, she has led growth that has doubled the number of LGBTQIA+ Queenslanders assisted annually, with a particular focus on expanding services in regional Queensland, including Central Queensland where she is based.
- QLD Solicitor of the Year – Sole Practitioner: Chelsea Baker, (pictured) Director, Baker Hastings Lawyers. A succession law specialist in complex estate planning, contested administration, and estate litigation, Baker is also appointed as an Independent Administrator by the Supreme Court of Queensland. She has been recognised as a Rising Star in Doyle’s Guide for Wills, Estates & Succession Planning and was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards (Senior Associate of the Year – SME) in consecutive years. She previously practised at firms including Mullins and Cornford-Scott before launching her own firm.
- QLD Solicitor of the Year – Small Firm (Award Partner: Westpac): George Sourris, Legal Practice Director, Empire Legal. Sourris co-founded the property-focused firm (with offices in Brisbane CBD/Spring Hill, Bayside, and the Gold Coast), which specialises in conveyancing and has accumulated thousands of five-star client reviews. He hosts the “Raising the Bar” property podcast, sits on charity boards, and serves on the Queensland PEXA Practitioner Advisory Council. The firm emphasises client experience, fixed fees, and plain-English advice.
- QLD Solicitor of the Year – Large Firm (Award Partner: First Title): Andrew Shute, Senior Legal Consultant, MinterEllison. With more than 25 years’ experience in complex corporate and commercial disputes (contractual, shareholder, joint venture, consumer/competition, and judicial review matters), Shute also chairs the QLS Litigation Rules Committee and serves on the QLS Innovation Committee. He has been recognised in Best Lawyers Australia for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Competition Law, and Litigation, and previously received a Lexology Client Choice Award.
- Regional Practitioner of the Year Award (Award Partner: PEXA): Linda Adcock, Senior Principal Solicitor, Legal Aid Queensland (Bundaberg). With over 30 years’ experience, Adcock is a QLS Accredited Specialist in Family Law (since 2001). Her practice covers family law, domestic violence, child protection, dispute resolution, and arbitration. She is an Independent Children’s Lawyer, Separate Representative, accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, and Arbitrator. She has driven local initiatives including the Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer service, chaired the Family Law Pathways Network, and built strong engagement with First Nations communities. In 2024 she received the Legal Aid Queensland Outstanding Achievement Award.
- Emerging Leader Award (Award Partner: ANZ): Kiarah Grace Kelly, Director and Principal Solicitor, Bloom Law. An award-winning family lawyer specialising in collaborative law, complex parenting matters (including those involving domestic and family violence, mental health, and substance issues), and Independent Children’s Lawyer work. Kelly was the national Family Law winner in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards (2023) and a finalist in the Women in Law Awards in earlier years. She previously served as a board member of the Queensland Association of Collaborative Practitioners and Vice President of Queensland Young Lawyers.
- Agnes McWhinney Award: Kristan Conlon, Chair of Partners, McCullough Robertson. Named after Queensland’s first admitted female solicitor, this award recognises a female lawyer who has forged new pathways through excellence, equity, professionalism, and community service. Conlon, a real estate and property specialist, began at the firm as a graduate in 1998, became a partner in 2007, and was appointed Chair of Partners in 2022 (the firm’s first female chair). She has been recognised in Chambers, Legal 500, Doyle’s Guide, and Best Lawyers for real estate/leasing work. She also serves as Chair of the Community Housing Industry Association Qld, Deputy Chair of yourtown, and in other community and industry roles focused on affordable housing, innovation, inclusion, and ESG.
Why These Awards Matter
The 2026 cohort reflects the breadth of Queensland’s legal profession—from graduate and emerging talent, sole practitioners and small firms, large commercial practices, in-house counsel, regional practitioners, community legal centres, and pro bono teams, through to leaders advancing inclusion, First Nations participation, and access to justice.
Many winners have strong track records in high-impact areas: human rights and social security advocacy, LGBTQIA+ legal services and regional outreach, succession and family law for vulnerable clients, property law innovation, complex commercial disputes, and leadership in firm governance and community housing. The awards continue the QLS tradition of recognising not only technical excellence but also contributions that strengthen the profession and serve the wider Queensland community.
For full details and the official announcement, see the Queensland Law Society page: Meet the winners of the 2026 Excellence in Law Awards.
