As part of Inspiring Women Week, Women in Law (WILK) visited The University of Kent Canterbury Campus on Monday 4th March to address the topic of diversity within the Legal Profession. The event was an engaging evening which welcomed three legal professionals to speak to our students.
This week The University of Kent’s Careers and Employability Service are putting on a range of events focused on the topic of inspiring women. Inspiring Women Week (4th – 8th March) coincides with International Women’s Day on the 8th March, and features external speakers from range of industries.
The week has started brilliantly with some great speakers taking part in events so far. One such event took place on Monday when the Careers Service welcomed the Directors of Women in Law Kent (WILK), a non-profit organisation which aims to empower, support and connect women who work, or aspire to work, in the legal profession, onto our Canterbury Campus.
Our guests included:
- Megan Leckie, Tuckers Solicitors LLP (Criminal law firm)
- Gemma Adams, Tuckers Solicitors LLP (Criminal law firm). Gemma also represents CILEX on the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board (CLAAB).
- Stefanie Smith, Robinson Allfree and specialises in Family law. Stefanie is a part of the governance team for CILEX in her role as a Professional Board member (Non-executive Director).
The topic of conversation revolved around whether the legal profession had changed, has it embraced diversity?
Each speaker took time to share their stories and their own tips to empower students and aspiring lawyers. After sharing insights into their own career paths, the topic of conversation moved onto the evolving landscape of the legal profession for women. The discussion addressed how to overcome barriers, feel more confident and included, as well as alternative routes in law, and how vital networking is!
Women in Law Kent posted positively about the event on LinkedIn, remarking upon how engaging and enjoyable the event had been with our students. Their post reads;
“We all discussed how to overcome barriers, feel more confident and included, alternative routes in law, and how vital networking is!
Special thanks to Jayne Instone and Lara Cavill for inviting us and arranging the event… and it was wonderful to see Dr. Lauren Montgomery too!
Let’s continue to inspire and uplift each other! We got you ”
Ready for more Inspiring Women Week events?! We’ve still got two days left full of events for you to get involved in including:
- Women in Engineering (Thursday 7th March, 12:00 – 12:50)
- Stop de-selecting yourself and apply for that job or promotion! (Thursday 7th March, 13:00 – 14:00)
- In conversation with: Elouise Mitchell, Senior Planning Consultant (KLS Alum) (Friday 8th March, 13:00 – 14:00)
- Balancing Acts: Navigating the Workplace as Women of Worth (Friday 8th March, 14:00 – 15:00)
- Female Changemakers: In conversation with Bethany Matthews, Access Coordinator at ITV Studios (Drama) (Friday 8th March, 17:00 – 18:00)
All Kent students, graduates and staff are welcome to attend to inspiring women events regardless of their gender. It is great to engage with the topic of gender diversity within different career paths. Please do bear in mind the theme of the week if you do plan to attend.