About

About Ngalaya

Ngalaya Indigenous Corporation is the peak body for First Nations lawyers and law students across what is now called New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Ngalaya is a registered charity, governed by our volunteer Board of Directors. Ngalaya’s CEO manages our team and Ngalaya’s day-to-day business.

Our vision

Ngalaya is committed to First Nations justice. We believe that Indigenous lawyers have enormous impacts on their communities and the legal profession. Our purpose is to support and grow the next generation of First Nations law-makers. We want to see First Nations people at every level of the legal profession, from graduate Legal Aid lawyers to Supreme Court Judges.

We believe in First Nations self-determination. There is a clear role to be played by Indigenous lawyers to support the political and social aspirations of First Peoples across the continent.

Our history

Ngalaya (nar-lee-ah) was founded in 1997 by a group of Indigenous law students at the University of New South Wales. It was the first association of its kind in Australia. Ngalaya is a Dharug/Eora word meaning ‘allies in battle‘.

Learn more about Ngalaya’s history.

First Nations lawyers in NSW and the ACT

Ngalaya represents over 800 First Nations lawyers and law students. This includes (based on 2017-18 numbers):

376 practicing solicitors in NSW
342 law students in NSW
20 practicing solicitors in the ACT
25 law students in the ACT

Learn more about First Nations Lawyers.

Ngalaya relaunch

Ngalaya has always been run by First Nations lawyers / law students, for First Nations lawyers and law students. After a period of inactivity as an organisation, Ngalaya relaunched in April 2019 with plans to grow and continue supporting Ngalaya members.

Despite the disruption of COVID-19, in the year following the relaunch, Ngalaya’s membership tripled in size, with a new website, revitalised social media, and new partnerships with law firms and legal organisations to pass on financial and other support for Ngalaya members.

25th anniversary and Ngalaya Ball

In 2022, to celebrate Ngalaya’s 25th anniversary and a return to in-person events, Ngalaya launched a suite of new initiatives and opportunities, including: