City firms are way behind TLT
TLT’s family-friendly policies have created gender parity; others should follow suit
IWD: Juggling a legal career, a family and an Italian restaurant
It’s well documented that there’s a gender disparity in the legal profession, particularly within senior and leadership roles. However, since the early 1990s, 60 per cent of new entrants to law are women – so why aren’t there more women in partnership positions? Many stereotypes still exist about women in the workplace, not just within […]
Closing the gender gap at partner level – time to pick up the pace?
With International Women’s Day in mind, I was recently asked whether I thought law firms ought to be cutting ‘coasting’ male partners to create space for excellent female partners? A bold suggestion indeed! While I don’t think this is the solution, I do understand why the question was raised. Most law firms currently have a disproportionate […]
IWD: I want it all, and I want it… now?
I began my legal career in September 2000. From the second year of my law degree I knew that I wanted to be an employment lawyer and, having secured a training contract and started my first seat in the employment department, I made it very clear to my peers that if anyone was qualifying into […]
IWD: We can no longer blame lack of progress on the lack of pipeline
March 8th – International Women’s Day – is a moment to celebrate women’s achievements and a stark reminder of how far we still have to go. This year it sees the formal launch of SEEN in the City – the Sex Equality and Equity Network for professionals working in and with the financial services sector. […]
Why are we still celebrating International Women’s Day?
The organisers of International Women’s Day ask us to imagine a gender equal world, a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. The origins of International Women’s Day arose from the fight for women’s suffrage, the right to hold public office and employment rights. Women now have the right to vote and hold public office […]
Simmons is fixing its women problem
Women in law still face very many challenges, but despite this it should be acknowledged that gender diversity within partnerships has come a long way, and the speed of change is accelerating. In The Lawyer’s UK Signal channel this month, we have looked at the firms that have done the best at moving towards gender parity in the […]
Meet three women who came back to law after a long career break
Anne Todd, Hannah Edwards and Manjit Sandhu all took several years out of law before returning through the Reignite Academy, an organisation that focuses on helping lawyers break back into the industry after time away. They tell their stories.
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Infertility, pregnancy loss and lawyering: all in a day’s work?
“Your HCG levels aren’t rising”. A phrase reserved for parents whose unborn baby is (literally, if you repeat home pregnancy tests) fading before their eyes. Words spoken to me in February 2018 while sat in my open-plan office. An hour later, I walked into a presentation. Broken, helpless, confused, shaky and sad, I couldn’t articulate […]
IWD 2022: Billable hours and gender representation: turning nouns into verbs
Law firms recognise the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion, and they recognise the need to have a diverse workplace; after all, a large number of studies demonstrate that a more diverse workplace is better for business. Many law firms have cultures and values which embed these important nouns into their business models, and many […]
It’s the men we feel sorry for
The 2002 HSF class is an example of why some women choose not to progress to partnership
IWD2022: “Hybrid working has changed so much for women”
As part of International Women’s Day, Morgan Lewis partners Melanie Ryan and Ayesha Waheed, and associates Opeyemi Atawo and Jennifer Connolly share their experiences and advice. If you could go back to an earlier point in your career and give yourself some advice, when and what would it be? Jennifer Connolly: It would be right […]