Corporate Social Responsibility
Russell Kennedy aims to make a positive contribution to the community and takes its responsibilities as a corporate citizen seriously.
Gender
Russell Kennedy recognises the importance of having a gender diverse workforce.
In September 2022, we released our 2022-2025 Gender Equality Strategy. Since the first strategy in 2017, we’ve seen women at Principal (partner) level increase from 28% to 52% (at August 2025). It’s our understanding that we’re one of only three Australian law firms (of comparable size or larger) to have 50% or more female Principals.
Our Board comprises 33% women (industry average is 24%) and 50% of our eight Practice Group Leaders are women. In addition, 57% of Special Counsel and 65% of Senior Associates identify as female, as do 61% of Associates and 78% of Lawyers. In total, 62% of our lawyers are women.
We’re one of 25 Australian organisations (including only three law firms) participating in RISE, an Australian government-funded program breaking down systemic barriers and providing direct pathways for women of colour to reach senior leadership positions. Russell Kennedy has 16 participants in the program. RISE is a partnership between Diversity Council Australia, Settlement Services International and Chief Executive Women.
We’ve embraced Victorian Government initiatives for promoting equitable briefing practices. We’ve so far reached our targets in all years and we’ve developed and implemented an Equitable Briefing Policy which enshrines the Law Council targets. We ran internal seminars regarding equitable briefing and worked with Victorian Women’s Barristers to conduct counsel networking events, to give female barristers in-person exposure to lawyers within our firm.
In September 2024 Russell Kennedy was named Diversity Law Firm of the Year at the Women in Law awards. This year we’ve again been shortlisted, with the winners announced in November 2025. In 2025, Russell Kennedy was publicly recognised – for the eighth year in a row – as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). We’re one of only 115 employers in Australia to receive the citation.
Disability
Russell Kennedy is dedicated to providing greater opportunities for people with disabilities and better accommodating our staff to facilitate a more inclusive and effective workplace. We provide flexible work arrangements and office modifications for people with a disability, illness or injury to ensure their work environment will enable them to work effectively.
Since 2024, Russell Kennedy has held Disability Confident Recruiter (DCR) status, awarded by the Australian Disability Network. Accreditation is based, for example, on removing barriers in recruitment processes to make them more accessible and inclusive for people with disability. We are one of only 59 firms, Australia-wide, to hold Disability Confident Recruiter status. Other firms include the Australian Tax Office, National Australia Bank, RMIT University, Victoria Police, Coles Group Ltd, and NBN Co.
LGBTIQ+
We are members of Pride in Diversity and since 2020 have participated in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), which is an external assessment of policies and actions taken to promote LGBTIQ+ inclusion in the workplace.
Each year we have used the assessment process as a guide to develop our LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy, and in the 2024 AWEI we achieved the Gold ranking in the Small Employer category (1-1500 employees). This is our second consecutive Gold Small Employer Award RK. We were also pleased to have been announced as the runner up for Small Employer of the Year.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
In 2019, Russell Kennedy was proud to be one of 18 Australian law firms to have endorsed a law firm statement in support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and subsequently, its call for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice to Parliament. We continue our support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
We actively recruit for and welcome First Nations job applicants for legal and business services positions. We also offer dedicated pathways for First Nations law students, via our seasonal clerkship program.
Where possible, we use the goods or services of social enterprises and we use Supply Nation to assist in locating local Indigenous-led suppliers. Our recent office move, for example, was supported by Orana, an Indigenous-led removalist company. Our Pro Bono team works closely with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.
In 2023, Russell Kennedy’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. The Reflect RAP is not just about what we can do to assist people and community through pro bono services - it is a shared undertaking to build knowledge, respect and understanding between us all and to share in the vibrant, resilient and ongoing cultures of First Nations Peoples.
Environment
Russell Kennedy is committed to reducing its environmental impact and promoting environmental awareness among its staff, clients and suppliers, as well as the broader community. With these dual aims in mind, the firm has implemented numerous environmental initiatives, such as regularly calculating its carbon footprint and encouraging sustainable work practices as part of the firm’s obligations as a member of the Australian Legal Sector Alliance ("AusLSA"). AusLSA is an industry-led association working collaboratively to promote sustainable practices across the legal sector, which Russell Kennedy joined in 2009. Russell Kennedy is also an Associate member of the Clean Energy Council.