Login
Why women must celebrate their achievements in law
With the 2019 Women in Law Awards launching this week, Lawyers Weekly spoke with four previous winners about the importance of celebrating the work being done across the board by female legal professionals.
Jerome Doraisamy
Clayton Utz special counsel Jennifer Harris, who won the 2018 Mentor of the Year Award, said she was motivated to nominate to become part of a broader legal community.
“The reason that I went for the mentoring award was because I think it is so important to recognise and identify people that are really investing in it because it makes a massive difference to the quality of life of people in our industry. I wanted a platform from which to discuss how hugely beneficial mentoring can be for everybody that is involved – especially as it is critically tied to the mental health issues which plague our industry. I love talking about mentoring whenever I can. The awards has given me that opportunity.”
Michelle Sharpe, who won the Barrister of the Year Award last year, said it didn’t actually occur to her to nominate, but she was ultimately “very grateful” to the anonymous person who did put her name forward.
“At the time, I gave a lot of thought to whether to accept the nomination. I finally decided that running for the award would enable me to promote my practice and my book,” she said.
That said, she feels strongly that women in the profession should put their hands up, as it is impossible not to be inspired by one’s fellow colleagues.
“I know that, like me, many women feel uncomfortable about putting their hands up for recognition, but I would encourage women to nominate themselves (or others) for this particular awards. I thoroughly enjoyed the awards night. The whole event was a glorious celebration of women in the profession,” she said.
Sophie Tversky, who won Law Student of the Year, agreed, saying such a process is more of a celebration of women supporting women.
“[It is about] acknowledging our individual and collective voices and contribution to the legal profession and community. The awards recognise women in the workplace, boardroom, those who champion diversity and who are forging new pathways to create equality and equity in law,” she posited.
2018 Young Gun of the Year Lena Chapple also encouraged others to get involved, saying engaging in the process is a “fantastic opportunity to reflect on the work you have done (and should be proud of)”.
“But the Women in Law Awards also celebrates much more than individual success; [it is] an opportunity to discuss and look at our achievements as a cohort,” she posited.
“Even if you do not win, being a part of supporting [this] important awards and the achievements that they recognise, is a great experience that should not be shied away from.”
But – and perhaps more importantly – promoting women in the legal workplace remains integral in addressing environmental challenges, the interviewees noted.
For example, Ms Sharpe said, stereotypes about women in law persist: “I think it is immensely important to celebrate women’s achievements in the law because women continue to be judged more harshly than their male counterparts.”
“There are still behavioural, structural and policy barriers preventing women [from] being heard,” added Ms Tversky.
As a result, women in the profession are “stronger together”, Ms Harris deduced, espousing a view she has held her entire career.
“I think it is really important to acknowledge the achievements of women in law because while there has been enormous changes in the way that law is practised and the challenges that women face in the legal industry, we still have a long way to go,” she explained.
“Sharing stories, celebrating stories, celebrating achievements and celebrating each other only adds to the culture of respecting, valuing, supporting and mentoring each other. Once you give yourself the confidence and courage to step out and become a part of that wider community it helps you realise that all of our experiences matter and that we have so many more similarities than we have differences and that allows us to be stronger together.”
If nothing else, feats deserve recognition and celebration, surmised Ms Chapple.
“There are such amazing feats, notwithstanding historic and even present challenges being faced by women in law, and by the legal profession more generally. Acknowledging our achievements also helps inspire us and future generations of women in law to keep up with the mind-blowing pace of accomplishment.”
Nominations for the 2019 Women in Law Awards are now open. For more information, click here.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
You can email Jerome at:
