women in law
After fifteen years of quietly observing diversity and inclusion efforts to achieve gender parity in the law, I’ve decided to offer a different approach. Legal firms have been hiring more than 50% female law graduates for many years and we arn’t seeing this translate through to gender parity in senior fee earners and firm leaders. Working closely with efforts to develop leaders, coaching senior lawyers to partnership and support senior fee earners return to work after parental leave I see many challenges remaining. We need a better understanding of the challenges. We need evidence based solutions that diagnose and treat the real issues. We need approaches that recognise the different needs of each women, team and firm. This is a challenge everyone want’s to solve. Time to make a change.
no boiling the ocean
Taking on the impossibly large task of addressing all forms of potential diversity and inclusion prevents focus. I’m taking just one type of diversity in hand and focusing a flame on it. Women in private practice law firms need to represent 50% of leadership teams. After that I’ll focus on the next one.
evidence based action
Copying what others are doing is a bit like taking your friend’s medication and hoping it will help you. So instead, I’m using the very best evidence based research to inform choices and each firm’s strategy to identify action plans that are just right for their needs. Researchers have been interested in gender for a long time and their findings can be translated into practical solutions.
professional women
Advancing women in professions and partnership structures has unique opportunities and challenges. What works in corporate doesn’t always translate into professional careers for women. Combining the professional services firms research with the evidenced based research is a powerful combination.