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IN A FIRST for any legal profession in the world, female Irish solicitors now outnumber male solicitors practising in the country.
At the end of 2014, there were 4,623 female solicitors and 4,609 male solicitors. Just 92 years ago, the first woman solicitor was admitted to the profession and The Law Society said “since then the race to equality has been incredible”.
In an article for the Law Society’s Gazette this week Teri Kelly described this as a “major landmark” for the profession.
Before the first female solicitor, Mary Dorothea Heron, was admitted in 1923, there had been no law stopping women from working as lawyers, it was just accepted that women were unfit for the work anyway. However many women were already working in the profession, particularly during the First World War.
Gender balance in the realm of law and justice in Ireland has come a long way since that time.
“Women currently dominate the State’s senior appointments in law and justice. Last year saw the appointment of the first female Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan, and the third female Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald,” Kelly said.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, she said the profession appeals to a lot of women because it is “all about helping people”.
It’s also a profession that can take you absolutely anywhere within any industry. As a solicitor you could work in-house for a technology firm like Google. Or you could work in family law and work to defend the rights of children. Alternatively, solicitors who choose to work as sole practioners work in a huge range of practice areas. The options for solicitors are truly endless and that appeals to young women.
She said the numbers point to a “wonderful level of equality” that has been achieved within the profession.
Women-friendly
“Solicitors work in all areas of human life and having both male and female perspectives is both valued and respected.”
A solicitor, who wishes to remain anonymous, told TheJournal.ie, that she welcomes the increase in females in her profession, but says there are still changes to be made to make the legal profession more women-friendly.
She said she hasn’t noticed any differences between her and her male colleagues, but said divergences seem to happen further down the line.
Most partners in law firms are still men. It is still a very male-orientated workplace environment, but I do think there is a movement towards a work-life-balance.
Family life is not something that blends well with a job in the legal profession, which she says does not bother the women in their 20s now, but when they are in their thirties, they may have to re-evaluate and take a step back.
“This is frustrating as these women have worked so hard, but I hope that as the masses rise, there is more optimism for the future.”
Practical changes can be made to make work-life easier on women who have families.
“It is a very conservative workplace and technology has been so slow to come to it,” she said.
A lot of the work I do could be done from home through an external access system, but there is a culture of being at your desk, which is not always good for women. They could easily be at home putting on the dinner, and then log back in to sign something off. There is still a thing of being seen to be present, but I am not sure it will continue.
RIP, can’t wait for 2016 to end ….
Legend. .R.I.P Rick… the opening rif to Caroline respect..
R.I.P Rick ..Rool Over Lay Down
RI.P.Rick ..Roll Over Lay Down
@829nza:R.I.P Rick ..Roll over Lay Down.
@829nza: R.I.P Rick ..Roll Over Lay Down
Totally agree with you friend. It’s been truly awful. I loved the quo.
@Steve Austin: One more song… One more song!
Sorry for multiple comments. .Journal App took a figaire
Why cant a bunch of politicians be taken instead?
@829nza: Feck off 2016, just feck off why don’t you.
“Rocking all over the world” adored that song,i think they opened up live aid in 1985 with that song. RIP another one gone
Christ. Not another one. RIP
Ah here 2016 would you ever fukk off with yourself & do something useful & go after Beiber or Kanye.
I don’t get why people would wish others would die instead . Beiber is a young lad with his life ahead of him and kanye has a couple young kids . I don’t like either of them but I would wish them dead ..
*Wouldn’t *
Thoughts and prayers are with his family, another star gone from our sky’s tonight
Saw Status Quo at Wembley Stadium in 1986. Queen headlined with The Alarm and INXS also. They were great craic live and had us all head banging even though most of us there for Queen. Thanks for the great memories.
Another victim of 2016…vicious. RIP
He’s in the army with the great up above
RIP. His guitar intro to Caroline was always sensational and wrote some beautiful songs for Quo like Living on an Island. A true rocker.
R.I.P.
A true rock and roller, not like our two best known sanctimonious hypocrites.
That’s no way to speak about Foster and Alan
Matt Donovan I couldn’t agree with you more.
The coke finaly took its toll .
This is not the time or place to get on your high horse about sugary drinks.
Status Quo brought fun to Rock RIP Rick
Very sad..
Prince might teach him a forth chord. RIP
His family were considering cremating him, but decided to bury him down, down, deeper and down.
Gutted. If there is a heaven he’ll be seeing his little Heidi again. Her death at two years old in the swimming pool really knocked him. He was one of the nicest, gentlest, funniest guys in the business. God’s band is about to rock. RIP Rick. Let ‘em’ ave it.
RIP to a legend. I loved Yellow Brick Road
Eff you, 2016. Eff you in the A
@Daisy Chai NSaw: Pop stars are starting to enter old age, so 2017 will probably be just as bad.
@Eamon. You hit the nail on the head there. A lot of the rock stars of the 60s and 70s are getting old, many in there 70s now. It’s kind of inevitable that, because of the lives of excess they lived in their hay day, that it’s taking its toll now. RIP Rick, one of my favourite Status Quo songs is “Mystery Song” which has Rick on lead vocal. Just gave it a blast a few mins ago, still sounds great.
R.I.P Rick… Rool Over Lay Down
2016 isn’t finished yet. Glad to see the back of it given the loss of so many legends. RIP Rick.
God, I think you got your take and not to take list mixed up.
have your say