Women held back in the legal profession says new group

Women are being held back in the legal profession according to a new group aimed at getting women into the top posts The Herald reports.

The Leadership Foundation for Women Lawyers is supported by lawyers who say that while equal numbers of men and women have graduated from the nation’s law schools for 30 years, too few women are reaching the top of the profession and too many are leaving the law.

Currently, 21 per cent of sheriffs and 29 per cent of Senators of the College of Justice are women.

Professor Lesley McAra, a former head of Edinburgh Law School and founder of the network said men get the top jobs more quickly.

“It is vital that the legal profession reflects the society which it serves,” she said.

“For more than 30 years there has been gender parity among graduating students but this has not translated into gender parity in the top echelons of the profession.

“In spite of best efforts, too many talented women are leaving the profession. Edinburgh Law School strongly believes in equality of opportunity and the leadership foundation has been born out of a conviction that universities should play a leading role in supporting positive social and legal change.”

Jacqueline MacLennan, from White and Case LLP said: “I am delighted to be part of the founding group of the Leadership Foundation for Women Lawyers.

“The foundation will be an important accelerator to women’s success in seizing opportunities, by providing an arena for senior women from a wide spectrum of the profession – who like me are passionate and committed to seeing change now – to give concrete guidance and mentorship to women law students/recent graduates.

“The leadership foundation is also gathering, creating and communicating best practices to the profession itself.”

She added: “Research findings are clear. Diverse teams are better teams. Women leaders in the legal sphere are an economic imperative. The leadership foundation is a valuable tool to realise this, and I support it wholeheartedly.”

The foundation would like to see job share arrangements as well as flexible working brought into the profession and mentoring schemes for young female lawyers as well as clear pay bands across the profession.

It is to be launched at the Playfair Library, Old College, Edinburgh tonight where Professor Susan Murphy, from Edinburgh Business School, will discuss the issues faced by women in the profession based on research findings.