Law society admits 'There is still much to address'

Published on Thursday 9 December 2010 11:50

ROLE models in any profession are important. When Caroline Flanagan became the Law Society's first female president in 2005 it was much commented on; so too when Lorna Jack became its first female CEO in 2009. Likewise in the wider profession, Linda Urquhart is often cited, along with Joyce Cullen, chairwoman at Brodies, and Morinne Macdonald, chairwoman at Macdonald Henderson.

This visibility is important in inspiring others, but it's not the full picture. We know a greater number of women are partners in law firms in Scotland than are, for example, directors in large commercial companies. A significant number - 10 per cent of females in private practice - are also equity partners.

We also know that in the next couple of years we will have more women than men in the profession overall for this first time, due to the large number of women excelling at school - allowing them to gain entry to university law courses, and then putting in strong performances at each stage in the qualification process.

However, there is still much to address. For example, 37 per cent of all males in private practice are equity partners which, even factoring for the historically lower number of - and therefore suitably experienced - women in the profession suggests more progress could be made. We are not alone in recognising this and have worked productively with the bodies such as the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland which are encouraging female applicants to seek appointment to the bench.

But numbers only ever tell part of any story. For example, a quarter of our membership now work in-house and attitudes to equity partner status are changing. Although it's the yardstick many use, is it actually the right measure of "success"?

For a body such as the Law Society there is a clear role to play in monitoring and conducting research to provide an empirical base for encouraging discussion about the profession and who progresses within it, and in promoting best practice where there is a clear evidence. Information on all this activity is publicly available on our website.

There is always work to be done. However, let's remember that while everyone has a preconception of the "typical lawyer", and while individual role models are important, we are in fact a strong, vibrant and diverse profession.

• Neil Stevenson is director of representation and support at the Law Society of Scotland