What is GLAD?

A mentoring program initiative by the GCDLA which matches lawyers, trainees and/or GDLP/PLT students who are seeking support, guidance and mentoring with those lawyers offering their time, experience and knowledge. Whilst the program is restricted to PLT students or practitioners, if you are in your final year of study and will commence PLT during 2026, you may be eligible and applications will be considered.

Who should join GLAD?

GLAD is for anyone who is a current member of the GCDLA. It is for those:

•       who may have changed their area of law and want guidance in that new area;

•       who are thinking about or have changed career path, eg. from a larger firm to a boutique firm, or becoming in house counsel, or joining the not for profit sector;

•       who are early in their legal career;

•       who want to support other lawyers in their journey and provide guidance that they either wish they had or were grateful to receive; and/or

•       who want to connect and communicate about matters relevant to their professional career and working life.

GLAD is for those lawyers who want to have the opportunity to create connections, on a one-to-one basis, and also as part of a community, for their own wellness and for their personal and professional development. Our mentors give up their valuable time to share their experiences and guidance and so we ask mentees to commit to the program by attending the scheduled events and/or arranging to catch up with their mentor directly.

When and how does GLAD happen?

•       There is no cost to join GLAD as this is a free benefit to our members.

•       We will endeavour to match mentors and mentees before the first event of the year. The program will then commence early 2026 and run throughout the year until December 2026.

•       There will be a number of opportunities throughout the year to meet, at free and/or subsidised events. We will continue to meet and share ideas at GLAD catch ups held every two months as well as other events focused on mentoring or wellness within the profession. We are also looking to create an online community to allow participants to communicate and share ideas throughout the year.

•       All efforts will be made to match mentors with mentees based on areas of interest and other criteria.

 

Closing date for expressions of interest: Friday 6 February 2026 

Please return completed form to: info@gcdla.com.au

 

 

For those who are interested in participating in the Mentoring Program but are not yet GCDLA members, you will need to join the GCDLA which you can do online via the following link: https://www.gcdla.com.au/Become-A-Member

Please Note: Whilst every effort is made to match the mentor with the mentee, there may be situations where this is not possible. Any decisions made regarding matching a mentor with a mentee is made at the sole discretion of the GCDLA Committee. We will endeavour to match mentors and mentees based on their practice area and geographical location however in some cases, this may not be possible.