Change takes time to manifest. The project’s pace startled me in the first place because of how slow it actually was. Because not much happened for roughly 60 years, the tale of the first 100 years is essentially the story of the last 30 years. Funny how men in the 1920s were so concerned about women entering the legal field and quickly taking over! But as history has shown, progress is often quite slow, and momentum is crucial.
Now that women are the majority, we have the opportunity to define what the legal profession can accomplish and what the future of work will entail.
Since 1990, women have made up more than 60% of solicitor applicants, according to the Law Society. While women make up just over half of practicing attorneys, they only make up 30% of private practice partners. It is significant that more women than males are entering the legal profession, and Denis-Smith wants the next generation to know that there is power in numbers.
The good news is that tremendous progress has been made. With the passage of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act by Parliament in 1919, women were finally able to join the Law Society and Inns of Court. Unfortunately, even such significant steps do not indicate that the work is complete. “Women can now enter the legal field, but their hurdle is to stay and advance.”
Denis-Smith is unambiguous about her views on the future of women in the legal profession, even though The First 100 Years is a history of the past: “I think it’s very important to distinguish what the space is for women now and to enable women to achieve their ambitions today, rather than fighting the battles of the past,” she writes. We can map out what we want from the future by comprehending our past.
Following the first project, The Next 100 Years carries on the fight for gender equality in the legal profession for women from all backgrounds.
Despite recent tremendous progress, it is impossible to ignore how the covid-19 epidemic has affected gender parity in the workplace. In March of last year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) also suspended the requirement that employers must be transparent with their gender pay gap reporting for 2019–20. This suspension added to the difficulties that working full-time from home has presented for women, particularly mothers. Although it’s vital to recognize the progress the legal profession has made toward achieving gender parity in the workplace, there are also new problems that need to be discussed, such as the pandemic, as they could reverse recent gains. When discussing the advancement of women in the legal profession, there are a plethora of other aspects to consider, such as the unique difficulties faced by women who identify as LGBTQ+, belong to an ethnic minority, are disabled, or are from low-income homes.
Some firms are doing it right and taking proactive measures to support women in their organizations. As we go past the snapshot that she found in 2014, it’s also evident that more has to be done. The legal environment is progressively evolving.
