Young lawyers call for transformation
- Lee-Anne Bruce
During this year's Public Interest Law Gathering, a group of young black lawyers presented a list of demands related to transforming the public interest legal sector. The Black Young Professionals' concerns relate primarily to accessing decent job opportunities, quality mentoring and decent wages that consider the reality of black tax. The demands listed in the memorandum handed over to leaders and donors include: transformation plans and succession plans with clear timeframes, transparency in salaries and payscales, briefing policies in line with transformation goals, culture and gender-sensitivity training, direct commitments to recruit people living with disabilities, gender empowerment policies, and land distribution and reclamation programmes. Read their list of demands here.
Bonita Meyersfeld and Lisa Chamberlain of CALS were present to accept the list of demands. Prof Meyersfeld has committed to supporting the group, co-ordinating with the leadership of other civil society organisations to meet with them, and to putting into practice transformation and succession plans called for.
Watch the presentation in the video below. The footage is courtesy of Wits Vuvuzela.