SAL Committee Member Journey – 6 Months In
Since I have broken the 6 month mark being a Committee Member of the Society of Asian Lawyers (“SAL”), I have taken the time to reflect on my experience being part of SAL.
I remember meeting Muntech Kaur, SAL’s President and immediately thinking how much my desire and passion for the promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion within the legal profession aligned with the goals of SAL. I believed as I am entering the legal profession as an aspiring barrister, building my experience, I could bring the perspective of those entering the profession. I also knew my peers would be interested but perhaps had not heard of the events hosted by SAL. I was excited to officially be a part of SAL and could not wait to get started working amongst a likeminded, determined Committee!
Since the AGM, being part of SAL has enabled me to enter into comfortable and refreshing, full and frank conversations about the representation of the Asian community and minority ethnic groups within the legal profession. It was a positive start to my experience to be able to have conversations, incorporating my own experiences and ideas for the way forward, that in most settings are often uncomfortable to speak about. I immediately felt understood and heard within the SAL Committee. SAL Committee Members often attend events on important issues to show support and give our input on these relevant topics.
I have enjoyed and learnt a great deal getting involved with the 30th Asian Legal Awards which took place in November 2025. I had the opportunity to network and meet so many fantastic individuals within the legal profession. There was a considerable amount of teamwork involved to put the Awards together and due to effective organisation, the night was a resounding success. As someone who has never organised an event of this scale before, I felt increased respect for the former 30 Committees who had organised previous Asian Legal Awards! It truly was a night to remember. Please click the link here if you wish to read more about the 30th Asian Legal Awards. I am currently enjoying putting together the 31st Asian Legal Awards with the Committee as we speak and celebrating the successes within the legal profession is an uplifting and positive experience.
During my time on the Committee, it was great to see SAL host an International Women’s Day (“IWD”) event with incredibly inspiring speakers. IWD with the theme “give to gain”, is a very important time and means a lot to me personally, as someone who lives in an all-female household as a result of my parents divorcing while I was still in school. The speeches at this event as well as the subsequent networking was enriching and fuelled me with even more determination to be successful in the profession. Being a Committee Member of SAL has given me the opportunity to be a part of organising events such as this but also attending similar events and networking accordingly. One of these was another IWD event, which I would not have heard about or attended, had it not been for SAL.
To summarise and reflect on my time with SAL, I have enjoyed my time on the Committee. Working with my fellow Committee Members and learning from them has been a particular highlight. SAL has provided opportunities for me to meet many amazing people within the legal profession and network but importantly, just as I had intended when submitting my initial application, it has given me the opportunity to take steps to raise awareness and speak openly about the need for improvement of diversity, equality and inclusion within the legal profession.
Jaya Sudera
Trial Advocate
SAL Treasurer
