A National Gathering of Strength

Why the National Indigenous Legal Conference deserves ongoing celebration and support.

By TEKAN COCHRANE

Last week I had the honour of attending the National Indigenous Legal Conference (‘NILC’) in Meanjin hosted by the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland, where First Nations lawyers, judges, students, scholars, Elders, policymakers and community voices came together.

We weren’t just attending a legal conference we were stepping into a space grounded in almost two decades of collective determination, intellectual excellence and cultural leadership.

The NILC is a national meeting place where truth-telling is central, where our voices shape the agenda, and where we envision stronger, fairer justice systems for our communities.

Tim Goodwin, Yuin man and barrister, speaks at the National Indigenous Legal Conference in Naarm in 2024. Photo: TJ Garvie Photography.

As someone who has participated in the NILC both as an organiser and attendee, I have come to understand how truly irreplaceable this gathering is. It remains one of the few national spaces where the conversation on our own terms, drawing from both cultural knowledge and legal expertise.

Each year, a different First Nations-led organisation or association in a different state or territory hosts and organises the NILC.

This honours the diversity of our peoples and ensures the conference reflects unique local contexts, Country and community priorities. While this structure brings logistical challenges for smaller organisations, it also highlights something important, First Nations organisations continue to step up because they know the NILC is vital to our collective progress.

This reality presents a national opportunity. If the broader legal profession values First Nations voices, then supporting the spaces where those voices gather is one of the most meaningful demonstrations of that commitment. The NILC should be seen as a permanent and celebrated fixture of the Australian legal landscape.

The Acknowledgment and Welcome to Country at NILC in 2024. Photo: TJ Garvie Photography.

Last year’s NILC in Naarm, held from 2-5 December 2024 and hosted by Tarwirri – Indigenous Law Association of Victoria Inc, showcased exactly what is possible.

It became the largest NILC in the conference’s 18-year history and brought together an extraordinary range of legal professionals, community leaders and emerging practitioners.

Alongside the three-day program, the week included a First Nations Law Students Day, a Welcome Reception and the return of the National First Nations Law Awards. The energy in Naarm made clear that when First Nations organisations are properly supported, excellence naturally follows.

The conversations in Naarm were grounded in the real challenges our communities face and the futures we are working tirelessly to build transforming child protection, improving youth justice responses, progressing treaty processes, addressing climate impacts with Country-based knowledge, and strengthening the foundations of self-determination. These are not academic issues they are lived realities.

The NILC brings together people who can speak to them with both professional authority and lived experience, creating a depth of dialogue unmatched elsewhere.

Author Tekan Cochrane at the NILC 2025 in Meanjin.

For young First Nations peoples entering the legal profession, the NILC can be life changing. It is often the first time they see the full breadth of the First Nations legal community in one room: judges, King’s Counsels, professors, senior practitioners, community lawyers, policy leaders, students, and Elders.

Representation matters, but representation grounded in community and culture matters even more. It creates pathways, confidence and lifelong networks.

Looking ahead, what stood out at the recent NILC in Meanjin was the sense of momentum. Our profession is not only growing, but also becoming more influential, more confident, and more deeply connected to cultural practice.

Each year, as the NILC moves to a new place, it carries the strength of the last and builds on it. The continuity of this gathering is one of its greatest assets.

For this reason, long-term investment in the NILC is not just helpful, it is an investment in the future of the legal profession and the future of justice in Australia. A sustained, multi-year funding model would ensure that cultural programming, Elder participation, student support, accessibility and overall conference quality continue to grow.

NILC 2025 in Meanjin.

The NILC is a living example of self-determination in action. It demonstrates what happens when First Nations peoples lead national conversations about justice, law reform and future-building. It showcases our legal traditions, our innovation and our collective vision.

That is why the NILC must continue to be celebrated every year and supported in a way that reflects its national importance. When First Nations peoples come together to imagine and shape the legal futures of this country, the whole nation benefits.

* Tekan Cochrane is a proud Kooma and Yuwaalaraay woman, lawyer, human rights and advocate. She works across policy, justice reform, and cultural safety, and has contributed to national conversations on Indigenous rights, legal system reform, and community-led justice.

Tekan is passionate about strengthening the First Nations legal profession and empowering the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lawyers and leaders.