Lawyer Monthly - Women In Law Special Edition

WOMEN IN LAW EDITION LAWYER MONTHLY 39 IRWIN MITCHELL diversity of our society and ensuring we are working in an inclusive sector. The Women Lawyers Division committee provides senior management within the Law Society with guidance and advice on how it can best achieve this aim. The committee provides an opportunity for women solicitors to have their voice heard. The committee has provided me with a fantastic support group and facilitated me to strive to improve opportunities for women in law. One of my proudest moments was nominating the inspiring Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC to speak at our annual Fiona Woolf lecture in 2018. We represent the views of women solicitors and hold the Law Society to account on how it supports women in the profession through its policy, procedures and support. We also assist with planning networking events and seminars on women in law and in leadership. Our work focuses upon promoting gender equality in law by looking at issues, including: social mobility; challenges specifically faced by diverse groups; promoting fair recruitment practices including blind recruitment; sexual discrimination and harassment; equal pay and the gender pay gap. In 2018, women represented 62.1% of new entrants to the profession and 50.2% of practising certificate holders yet they only account for 30.1% of partners in private practice.. Equal pay also remains a problem with pay differentials exceeding the national average. Q In the past year, we have assisted the Law Society President Christina Blacklaws with her work on her women in leadership project. This has including hosting women’s roundtables to look at the barriers for achieving gender equality in the legal sector. The findings from our global survey showed that unconscious bias remains a barrier to female progression. This year is the centenary of women wishing to become solicitors could apply to the Law Society. Although we should take time to celebrate what has been achieved, we have much more to do before the legal sector is representative of the general population. Who are your biggest inspirations? There are so many fantastic women working hard to move the needle on gender equality. In the legal sector, Christina Blacklaws, Baroness Hale and Baroness Kennedy are synonymous for the vocal work they do. My fellow Law Society women lawyers committee members are also very inspiring and Suzanne Gallagher and Leah Glover deserve special mention or their tireless contribution to the work of the Law Society. I also think Beyoncé (who recently walked out of a pitch due to lack of diversity) has a thing or two to teach us. If the team pitching to you are not representative of you, or the equality issues you stand for, don’t do business with them. Who would you invite to your dinner party? It would have to be inspirational women in law: Christina Blacklaws, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Baroness Hale of Richmond. And Beyoncé, always Beyoncé. If you could go back and pick your career, would you choose law? Why? Perhaps it would be interesting to work in promoting women’s equality either in the UK or globally. I am always inspired by the tireless work of UNWomen and the Fawcett Society. Q Q “ “ In 2018, women represented 62.1% of new entrants to the profession and 50.2% of practising certificate holders yet they only account for 30.1% of partners in private practice.