On Monday, 7 October, twelve girls involved in The Girls’ Network were fortunate to attend a Women in Law event in London. We braved the 6:42am train and walked across Waterloo Bridge in bright autumn sunshine before arriving at the Middle Temple. This Tudor building is breathtaking to spend a day in - it’s the room in which Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night was first performed!
The event began with a tasty breakfast and speed networking, with the girls able to speak to various professionals and pupils from other schools. This was followed by talks on the work undertaken by solicitors and barristers (which included discussion of the paralegal role).
The professionals then modelled a debate about whether cameras should be allowed in English courts before the girls took over the discussion on their tables. Most Springfield pupils said they believed that court proceedings should not usually be filmed.
We were then fortunate to hear the Girls’ Network ambassadors interview Jo Brown, a KC. Jo spoke about her childhood, with her mother working as a dinner lady and her father as a builder, and explained how she forged her way in a legal career despite a lack of encouragement from her community. She also spoke about dealing with setbacks and coming back stronger from failures, and about balancing a high powered job with parenting commitments. This talk also gave us an insight into family law. The girls enjoyed trying on the barristers’ wigs and then took part in an interactive activity on matching the crime to the maximum sentence.
The final talk was given by a judge, the Hon. Mrs Justice McGowan, who explained the role of a judge and the path she took in her career. She explained that a lawyer should manage emotions about complex cases by keeping a professional distance from clients. The judge said that in a career, you will win and lose cases but must always feel that you have done your best to do right by your client. She also spoke about the need to behave with dignity even in your personal and social life if you have such a significant public facing responsibility.
We were delighted to be part of this amazing event which was made possible through the generosity of The Girls’ Network, who organised the day and funded our travel; the financial and time commitments made by legal professionals, who were true role models, and the organisation of Ms Allen.
This motivating and informative trip was beneficial to the pupils involved as it allowed them to gain an invaluable insight into the careers of successful women in law and the legal profession. Pupils gained a firsthand understanding of the legal profession, as well as the various roles and responsibilities within the field. An event such as this serves as a platform for networking allowing pupils to build connections with professionals who can offer mentorship and guidance. Exposure to successful women in law can be incredibly empowering and inspiring for girls who may envision themselves in similar roles and reinforces the belief that gender should not be a barrier to achieving career goals.
Ms Burden - Lead for Aspiration and Enterprise