As a founding member and the former president of the Asian Australian lawyers Association (AALA), Reynah Tang knows a bit about fighting for the rights of aspiring professionals in the legal field.

However, he told SBS Cantonese that struggles remained for Asian-Australian lawyers in receiving promotions.

He said evidence suggested that lawyers from an Asian background weren't able to "breakthrough" career barriers.

“Studies in New South Wales suggest that about 10 per cent of solicitors in the state were born in Asia, (but) the anecdotal evidence was (that) not many were making it through to the senior ranks of the profession, some examples are becoming partners in law firms or joining the barristers, or being appointed to our courts and tribunals,” Mr Tang said.

“Subsequent research the [Asian Australian lawyers] association did in 2015, showed around 3 per cent of partners in large firms were from an Asian background and that dropped to around 1.6 per cent of barristers.

“Only a handful of Asians are making it to a senior counsel, and then less than 1 per cent of the judiciary were from an Asian-Australian background."

SBS Cantonese

In 2013, Mr Tang became the first person from an Asian background to be appointed as president of the Law Institute of Victoria in its 154-year history.

He saw the lack of upward movement for Asian-Australian lawyers as one reason why he created the AALA.

"(AALA ) helps develop skills with our members." Mr Tang said. "But we also advocate with the law firm.

"A couple of years ago, the top 9 or 10 law firms signed a charter to do work on cultural diversity in the legal profession, and then to take steps to share information to fellow statistics that sell programs to help promote a greater level of cultural diversity in the law firm."

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And they are now seeing some promising signs for Asian-Australian lawyers.

"For instance, late last year we saw the appointments of two barristers of Chinese Heritage in senior council in Victoria for the first time," Mr Tang said.

"And hopefully when we come to redo the statistics we did in 2015, we can see some real tangible improvements in those numbers."

Mr Tang is a tax lawyer focusing on corporate and international taxation.

He is a member of the Board of Taxation Advisory Panel and the tax committee of the Law Council of Australia.

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For his service to the legal field, Mr Tang became a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019.

He said he was "quite surprised" when he heard the news of receiving the Medal of Australia.

"I am humbled to have been recognised for the work I've done with the number of legal professional associations over years," Mr Tang said.

(For the full interviews with Mr Reynah Tang, please listen to our podcast.)