International Women’s Day – celebrating Scottish women in law

Happy International Women’s Day to our members and all the tremendous women working in Scotland’s legal profession. Today is a day to celebrate women’s achievements, and renew our commitment to equity and inclusion. The theme of International Women’s Day this year is #EmbraceEquity. Equality of opportunity doesn’t always lead to equity or equal outcomes, and as we make progress we do so knowing that there is #MuchStillToDo. 

A significant majority of solicitors in Scotland are women, and that’s been the case for many years now. Women are working across every imaginable area of law and the law couldn’t function without us. I’m lucky to work with many of these extremely talented and hardworking women, including my colleagues at the Law Society and those who give their time to the profession through our Council, Board and committees.

However, in the law, as in other sectors, women are still under-represented in top roles. At partner level and in equivalent in-house roles it takes women longer to be promoted than male counterparts. Our research shows that these issues are compounded for disabled women, for minority ethnic women, and for LGBTQ+ women. There’s also a substantial gender pay gap, and we’ve been open about the fact this is a problem that’s also shared by the Law Society itself. It’s not an easy problem to fix, especially in small organisations, but we are committed to understanding and acting on our data. That’s a problem for today and every day, but it shouldn’t stop us on International Women’s Day from celebrating the thousands of women in Scotland’s legal sector.

We’ve invited a few women in law to tell us a little about their careers and their views on the importance of equality and diversity. Inspiration guaranteed.

Diane McGiffen – Law Society of Scotland Chief Executive

Khalda Wali 

“Fear of equality shows a lack of humanity” 

Khalda is the Principal Solicitor and founder of LKW Solicitors. She is an Accredited Family Law specialist. Speaking fluent Urdu and Punjabi along with English also ensures her bilingual skills and cultural understanding are utilised to the benefit of her clients. In her practice she handles a variety of family law cases including dealing with complex separations and disputes. She has in depth knowledge and a keen interest in Sharia law and deals regularly with cross border financial claims and divorces for clients with connections in various countries. She has written articles on the topic of Sharia law and foreign divorces and represented a number of clients throughout the courts in Scotland in cases where the validity of foreign divorces and Sharia law has been involved.

Laura Cameron 

“Diversity of thought and lived experience, in the broadest sense, breeds success for individuals and organisations alike. It’s vital that we all play our part in advancing inclusion to enable everyone to be able to thrive in their careers.”

Laura is Global Managing Partner elect of Pinsent Masons. During her 28 years at the firm Laura has had significant influence in shaping the business via leadership roles on the firm’s Global Board and subsequently as Global Head of the firm’s Risk Advisory Services Group, which incorporates largely contentious specialists and includes 150 partners based across the firm’s multinational network. Laura’s legal career began after she qualified in 1992, completing her traineeship with Aberdeen-based firm Adam Cochran before joining McGrigor Donaldson’s litigation team in Glasgow to specialise in health and safety. Following the merger of McGrigors and Pinsent Masons in 2012, Laura has been instrumental in advancing the firm’s multinational expansion and the development of a range of professional services offerings across the business.
Laura is chair of the Health & Safety Lawyers' Association in Scotland and sits on the UK Committee. She has extensive experience of representing household names in times of crisis in regulatory investigations and also in relation to a number of high-profile cases.

Brianella Scott 

"I intend to use my voice to advocate for an inclusive and equitable profession and to address the barriers of access and progress of ethnic minority women within the profession."

My name is Brianella and I’m an Assistant Solicitor to the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry with the Scottish Government. The inquiry was set up to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Sheku Bayoh. I am also the Secretary of the Scottish Young Lawyers’ Association (SYLA) and a Committee Member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Racial Inclusion Group (RIG). I moved to Scotland as a child and my background is South American Caribbean. As a result of my background and my intersectionality (being a minority ethnic women), I utilise my platform on the SYLA and the RIG to address issues relating to diversity, inclusion, gender equality and underrepresentation within the profession. That includes highlighting the adverse impact that the lack of visible ethnic minority mentors or role models, specifically women at a senior level, can have on those entering the profession. I’ve struggled with Imposter Syndrome. Research shows that Imposter Syndrome disproportionately affects women and that women from an ethnic minority background are more susceptible to Imposter Syndrome than any other group. This hurts confidence and drives self-doubt, which I’ve experienced in corporate spaces. I believe we need to recognise and address the systemic inequalities within our profession. We don’t all have the same background, nor do we all start from the same place or have the same opportunities. We need women mentoring and supporting each other. We also need men to be active allies, advocating for women in leadership roles. Collectively, we all need to address the lack of racial diversity in these leadership roles.

Mariel Kaney 

Mariel is a solicitor and Deputy Legal Secretary in the Lord President’s Private Office. She has worked in the Lord President’s Private Office for four years, having previously trained with the Ministry of Justice’s criminal injuries compensation team. Mariel’s work in LPPO has included leading on the judiciary’s response to the legal services regulation consultation and working on the Statement of Principles on Judicial Ethics. As well as these projects, she has made considerable contributions as the lawyer to the Family Law Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council, and the Covid-19 Court of Session User Group during the pandemic. She also drafted a sizeable Act of Sederunt to deliver new court rules aimed at improving the management of family actions in the Sheriff Court to ensure cases involving children progress through court efficiently.
This week, Mariel will begin an exciting new job in the Scottish Law Commission where she will take on the role of project manager.
Mariel is the former Captain of Heart of Midlothian FC’s women’s football team and she has undertaken extensive media work in promoting women in sport. Mariel is also a trustee of the Big Hearts Community Trust, who support vulnerable adults and children in the South West of Edinburgh.

Amina Amin 

“Empower women and watch as they shatter glass ceilings, break down barriers, and blaze new trails for generations to come.”

My name is Amina and I am a Solicitor within the IPTC Team at MacRoberts. As a minority ethnic solicitor, I am keenly aware of the need for greater diversity and inclusion in our industry. That's why I have chosen to use my voice as the Treasurer of the Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA) and as a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Racial Inclusion Group (RIG) to advocate for change. By raising awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion, I hope to ensure that all women entering the legal profession receive fair representation and equal opportunities. I firmly believe that when law firms embrace a diverse and inclusive culture, everyone within the legal profession benefits. This International Women's Day, I encourage all women to stand together and work towards creating a more equitable future for us all.

Caroline Colliston 

"As a socially mobile, first generation lawyer and working mum, I will #EmbraceEquity by choosing to challenge inequality as I encounter it and by using my voice and recognising the privilege of my education to try to support and raise others up."

I am DWF’s Executive Partner for Scotland, a “really exciting” tax partner and member of DWF’s global diversity and inclusion leadership team. I’m a mum of two teenagers: a girl who is at university – not studying law! – and a boy who is at secondary school. I am a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Tax Law Sub-committee and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax working group, the Chartered Institute of Taxation’s employment tax sub-committee and the ICAS employment taxes working group. I also sit on the leadership group of Business in the Community Scotland and I am the Chair of the Business Leadership Group of the Scottish Business Pledge.