Tarwirri’s inaugural Blak Letter Law Gala celebrates First Nations excellence

Written By Tekan Cochrane

Tarwirri’s inaugural Blak Letter Law Gala 2026 was the opening event to National Reconciliation Week 2026 a proud celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence, leadership and achievement across the legal profession.

Held in Naarm, the Gala brought together Mob, Tarwirri members, supporters, legal professionals and leaders from across the sector for an evening of celebration, connection and recognition.

The Gala provided an important opportunity to celebrate the achievements of First Nations peoples in the legal profession while strengthening relationships across the broader legal community.

Tarwirri was honoured to welcome The Hon Justice Lincoln Crowley as keynote speaker and Victorian Legal Services Board CEO and Commissioner Fiona McLeay as special guest speaker. Their contributions helped make the evening a meaningful celebration of First Nations leadership and excellence.

Tarwirri extends its sincere thanks to our principal funder, the Koori Justice Unit through the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement, whose support helped make the Gala possible.

We also gratefully acknowledge our sponsors and supporters:

  • Law Institute of Victoria

  • Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner

  • Victoria Legal Aid

  • Gadens

  • Maddocks

  • Federation of Community Legal Centres

  • MinterEllison

  • Lander & Rogers

  • Gilbert + Tobin

  • The College of Law Australia

  • Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

  • Ashurst

  • Mallesons

  • University of Melbourne – Indigenous Law and Justice Hub

  • Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation

  • DWF (Australia)

  • Allens

  • Rydges Hotels & Resorts Melbourne

The support of our funders, sponsors and partners demonstrates a strong commitment to First Nations representation, leadership and excellence within the legal profession.

Most importantly, Tarwirri thanks everyone who attended and contributed to making the inaugural Blak Letter Law Gala such a special evening.

We look forward to building on the success of the Gala and continuing to celebrate and support First Nations peoples across the legal profession in the years ahead.

Photos by T J Garvie. More photos can be found on the Tarwirri Facebook here.

Tekan Cochrane
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