Gender Diversity in the Legal Field, let's talk about it

Gender Diversity: Women in Law 

As an international final year student, I have always been worried about the possibilities of securing a legal graduate job on a global platform. There is also a heavy burden from the narrow scope for female lawyers to make their mark in this competitive field.  

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Over the past years, several notable law firms have focused on creating a diverse talent base to tackle challenges faced by lawyers of colour. According to a survey conducted by the Guardian in London, the percentage of women in the Legal 500 industry accounted for 40 per cent of the roughly 11,000 lawyers as leaders in the legal field. This included senior figureheads in the Hall of Fame to the Rising Star Associates. The growth is solely based on merit alone and women in the past three years have intensely participated in lead roles like market-defining deals, firm partners and have slowly reduced the unconscious bias that once held them back. 

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Women in Law remains an important issue that still requires continued attention. On the brighter side, gender diversity issues are being addressed and the graphs have been exponentially improving.

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How can you navigate your legal career? What can you do now? 

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Brunel Law School is home to many international students who suffer from the same burden and uncertainty. But where can we start? How do we further build our journey to a legal industry? Here are a few tips that might change your mindset and reinstate your confidence. 

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If you have just started to navigate your career plan, your first crucial step is to attend legal workshops hosted by organizations and firms like Legal Cheek, Bright Network and Aspiring Solicitors. They host several insight days, talk shows, workshops and even in-person events to help students from any background and year of degree! Furthermore, the key experience you will take away is networking! These events will get you acquainted with students who are now paralegals, junior associates and panel members of in-house teams at reputed companies over the country.

If you are in your 2nd or final year, you should have already heard about vacation schemes. What are they and why are they important? Vacation Schemes, also known as, internships, are a great way to learn the firm inside and out. They can range from 2-4 weeks and are held twice during the winter and summer application cycle. They are extremely recommended as if successful, you will be offered a chance to fast-track interview for a training contract in the firm! 

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Speaking of training contracts, if you are a final year or graduate student seeking a training contract, do not worry! There are many graduate schemes available for finance, consulting, law, marketing, always expand your searches and you never know what you’ll find. 

As an international student at Brunel, I would strongly advise everyone to connect with the graduate recruitment team who have made a significant impact for most of the Brunel alumni. The job fairs and the placement events introduce you to the recruitment requirements of various firms and what to include in your application form. However, you should indefinitely conduct in-depth research before sending your applications through. 

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It is key to stay proactive, network, build contacts and most importantly, put forth an application that is confident and portrays the benefits of the diversity you would bring to the table.

Written by Roshini Reddy Nellore

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