EFWIL Annual Reflections Lecture – 10 Year Anniversary

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Edinburgh Foundation for Women in Law, co-founders Professor Lesley McAra and Karina McTeague reflected upon their own career experiences, discussed challenges within the profession, and what work needs to be done to break down barriers, promote equal opportunities, and inspire a new generation of legal professionals.

Career Experience & Gender Discrimination

Both acknowledged how an organisation’s hierarchy impacted their experiences in the workplace. Karina’s reflections on her early career in private practice highlighted that junior-level gender discrimination wasn’t always about being a woman but often about being the most junior team member. Moving up the career ladder, hierarchy took away some of the negative experiences. Even when moving from the legal sector to the world of finance, it seemed to Karina that hierarchy often mattered more than gender. The change from private practice to an in-house role, Karina saw how HR functions are pivotal in combating gender discrimination. Professional support to all employees, transparency around hiring practices, and transparent assessments regarding pay within organisations are key when looking at how gender discrimination managed in the legal profession.

Lesley’s experience in the civil service, an organisation with a reputation as being hierarchal, was very different. Working in a female-dominated department in the 1980s and 1990s there were opportunities at all levels for researchers, including having influence on policy even at junior levels. After moving from an organisation with several women leaders, it was a bit of a shock moving to Edinburgh Law School, then the Law Faculty, when at that time there had never been a female professor, Dean of the School, nor Vice Chancellor of the University. Lesley remembered the early challenges she and other female colleagues faced, how they mobilised as a group, supported each other, and witnessed dramatic changes over the last 30 years. The shift from a Faculty to a School broke up the old hierarchy. In 2004, the promotion of women in key roles, such as Professor Ann Griffiths to the Chair of Legal Anthropology; becoming the first female professor at Edinburgh Law School. Being appointed the first female Dean of the Law School in 2011 was a pivotal moment for Lesley, both personally and professionally.

Women & Leadership

Reflecting on their experiences, including time as a student, both highlighted the importance of feeling included. Inclusion is very much up to everyone - irrespective of gender. When there is a predominance of one group over another it does not bring out the best in people. The importance of diversification and to avoid a dominance of one over the other is critical, a diversified team, group, organisation, and society is key to success. 

On her managerial experience, Karina spoke about taking risks, stepping into difficult roles, and thriving in challenging environments. She emphasised the importance of embracing a ‘no ego’ approach, building a great team, and focussing on team successes. As for management styles, Karina consciously developed her own style and highlighted key skills such as being a good listener. She mentioned that women are often characterised as polite, collaborative and low-ego, traits that can be beneficial in leadership roles, but advised that you need to work out who you are, be yourself, and then ‘add an edge’. Without an edge, there is still assumption that you have not been tested.

Similarly, when thinking of leadership during challenges or crises, Lesley added women showcase resilience and adaptability - touching upon anecdotal evidence suggesting that universities led by women fared better during the COVID crisis. Reflecting on her own experience as Dean of the Law School, the first female Dean in the School’s history, Lesley learnt how to call on different leadership styles as needed, such as being directive, diplomatic or strategic, based on the situation. Lesley advised the importance of being comfortable calling upon different styles of leadership and moving beyond one’s own natural style of leadership – acknowledging that confidence is contagious.

EFWIL & Achievements

EFWIL was created to improve the representation of women in leadership positions within the legal profession. Despite women making up equal numbers in legal education and entry level positions they remain underrepresented in senior roles. 

Karina and Lesley reflected on the Foundation over the last 10 years, highlighting key achievements such as elevating the conversation about gender inequality through events such roundtables and discussions about policy. It has also helped raise awareness of issues by engaging in work with the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish government and MSPs to raise awareness about the legal profession's need to reflect society. The Foundation has brought together people of different ages, backgrounds, professions, and seniority through a series of annual events like the Shelf Indulgence Book Club and lecture series, which facilitate networking opportunities.

Challenges within the legal professional, actionable steps, and change

Both expressed frustration with the normalisation of gender inequality. For example, 54 years after the Equal Pay Act of 1970 there are a critical issues around equal pay for equal work, particularly as women progress through their careers. The rise of discussions of ‘feminisation’ of the workplace, spaces, and society suggests a degree of complacency. They also expressed concerns about the seemingly negative connotations linked with the term. 

Within the legal profession it is important to remember that senior-level representation remains low and there should not be satisfaction regarding gender equality.  Even though the recent Profile of the Profession by the Law Society of Scotland shows the experience of discrimination is decreasing, the most common form of discrimination reported is gender discrimination. Despite numbers falling, there are still reports of misogyny, favouritism, and workplace harassment.

An important challenge moving forward is the need to recognise that gender inequality cannot be understood through a singular experience—an intersectional approach is needed to account for the diverse challenges women face in the profession. More research is also needed on the ‘leaky pipeline’, why women leave or take a mid-career break, and how this impacts their promotional prospects. It is important for the legal profession that organisations within the field are transparent and publish statistics on promotions and appointments. It was also recognised that legal education could contribute by teaching students how to be advocates for change and develop collaborative leaderships skills.

The conversation closed with a call to action for individuals and organisations to take responsibility for driving change. The end of the gender pay gap and a Scottish government-led review of women in the legal profession, similar to the Gadhia review and HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter, are on the co-Founder’s wish list for change. 

Being part of the legal profession comes with privilege and responsibility. It is our responsibility to ensure that it is effective and robust, guaranteeing equality and justice, by making sure it mirrors the society it serves - promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion at every level.