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QUEENSLAND barristers have taken the first step to overcome a disproportionately small number of indigenous barristers.
Of 876 practising barristers in the state, only three are believed to be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander extraction.
In an attempt to boost the numbers, the Bar Association of Queensland will this year launch a trust fund to offer financial support to graduating indigenous law students who choose a career as a barrister.
The association is in the process of applying to the Australian Taxation Office for charity status, to allow donations to the fund to be tax-deductible.
The fund will be modelled on a similar program operating in New South Wales.
Queensland Bar Association immediate past president Glenn Martin, SC, said...