Our guest this week, Theresa Jennings, began her legal career as a student volunteer at Cancer Council Queensland, and after Admission, she was offered a role within the Legal Team. Theresa has been a member of the Legal Team since 2016 and provides advice broadly across the organisation including advice on contracts, intellectual property, deceased estates, and privacy compliance.

She is a founding member of the QLS Diverse Abilities Network, which is a network that champions equal opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities within the legal profession and wider community. She discusses an Accessibility Guide for workplaces developed by this network.

Theresa has been a panellist speaker at events advocating for inclusivity of diverse abilities within the legal profession, including International Day for People with Disability and Global Accessibility Awareness Day. She has been invited to give presentations for LegalWise Seminars and to University students on the topic of diversity. In 2020 she contributed to the QLS submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disabilities Insurance Scheme about her experiences with applying for NDIS funding and the lack of reasonable accommodations available to people with hearing impairments.

Theresa is a manager and mentor to law students, and she is proud to encourage future lawyers to be understanding and open-minded about working with people with disabilities. In this episode, we canvass what allyship looks like to her, remember that disability is an important form of diversity, and a Proctor article, “Motherhood, disability and career” that she co-authored. Digressions include her adoration of author and disability advocate, Helen Keller, a funny but impressive MacGyver-esque moment and her delight making frozen delights.