Career planning for women: a new conference

Do we as women do enough career planning for ourselves? Do we let things happen by accident or rely on being in the right place at the right time?

As someone with no background in the law or any family member who had gone to university, never mind a female role model, my career path was not uppermost in my mind at university. It was about getting the degree and a job. The direction and focus came later. I became a partner in a law firm at 30, one of the first solicitor advocates in 1993 and Queen’s Counsel in 2010. I have qualified in English law, obtained the solicitor advocate qualification in England and am about to become an arbitrator and adjudicator in international as well as UK disputes.

A career in law is so much more than aspiring to be a partner or joining the bar. Now is the time to look at the wider horizons, with lawyers playing significant roles in the public sector, in-house and on boards. Do we have the confidence to look beyond the traditional career paths? How do we develop a network that supports us in our career and indeed all aspects of our lives?

At this conference we shall explore the various options already at your fingertips and how they might present themselves at different stages in your career.

I hope this event will encourage everyone to do just that.