The Gazette 1978

GAZETTE

JULY-AUGUST

1

SOCIETY OF YOUNG SOLICITORS SECTION Women and the Law

particular problem in this area because many of the public particularly commercial clients don't quite accept a lady solicitor so she must show herself exceptionally good. I have seen lady solicitors being treated by men as being inferior at the outset of a meeting and ending up by being treated with respect because they know their law and showed competency. It is an uphill battle — face it! (h) The lady solicitor should recognise the problem of marriage and having children. It takes at least seven years for a solicitor to become fully trained after qualification. This means hard work and "hard cash" in the time lost to partners in training young people. Married solicitors frequently continue in practice but it is very difficult for them timewise after marriage and particularly when they have a child. It is foolish to brush aside this problem. The loss of a good young solicitor to a firm is a severe blow be it marriage or some other reason. A loss to a Bank or say the Land Registry is bad enough but in private practice it "disturbs" clients. They want to deal with the "guy" they know. The better the solicitor the worse the problem. (i) Finally a lady solicitor has to recognise that on being made a partner her "takehome" pay may be reduced to build up her capital account over a period of years. Being a partner is not all fun and games! I hope these few notes done at my fireside will give food for thought to some of our excellent lady solicitors with whom I am privileged to work. The Halcyon Days and AD That . . . On Saturday, March 18th, 1871, the Galway Vindicator and Connaught Advertizer reported as follows the manner in which the Attorney General, Mr. Palles and diverse witnesses came to grips with a disputed title to a local fishery:— "Michael Heany examined by Mr. Palles Q.C. — I used to be minding the river night and day; I minded it by the day during the whole year; I prevented people fishing there: Mr. O'Flaherty had stocks there, and people who did anything to displease him, he put them in the stocks; the stocks were near the chapel (laughter). His Lordship—Were they in the Chapel? (laughter). Witness — No, but near the chapel. His Lordship — He wished to accommodate all (laughter). The Attorney General — Had he a pound there for putting cattle into? Witness — He had (laughter); the way he used to do was to put people's feet in the stocks (laughter); i saw Nee in the stocks, and Pat King; any man that was caught fishing was brought in and put in the stocks. His Lordship — Where used Mr. O'Flaherty sit when administering justice, was it in the chapel or on a rock? (laughter). Witness — In an office in his house. His Lordship — Was there a public-house near? (laughter). Witness — It was not far away (laughter). 107

The reply to the lady solicitor's article by a male solicitor who for reasons not altogether abstruse prefers to remain anonymous. I feel reasonably competent to reply to the lady solicitor's complaints in relation to advancement within the profession for several reasons: 1. I usually interview with other partners applicants for positions within our firm. 2. I have considerable experience of working with female solicitors. 3. I am very keen to see female solicitors advance in every way in the profession. 4. I have working experience with ladies as partners. I agree with most of the contents of the lady solicitor's comments but I think she should look deeper into the causes of the malaise of which she complains with view to trying to surmount the problems with which firms are faced who have lady solicitors. My observations are as follows: (a) The female applicants for positions as assistant solicitors frequently have better qualifications or have better academic careers than the male applicants. On many occasions they speak better at interviews and generally turn themselves out better. In short they have a better presence. (b) On the other hand, quite a large number clearly have chosen law not because of some positive reason but to avoid the possible dead end of some Arts degree. (c) On being employed they work conscientiously and frequently present say a better memorandum on a point of law they are asked to research than the male counterpart. (d) They are inclined to regard a job as a job and work office hours as though they were in the Civil Service or the Bank. The good male solicitor who wants to make a career for himself regards the work in hand as being a job to be got done regardless of time because he knows he is gaining experience. The lady solicitor doesn't seem to feel that completing the job in hand to the satisfaction of the client as being an objective in itself regardless of the employer. (e) The lady solicitor does not seem to wish to occupy off hours in reading articles on law, new legislation etc. In short quite a number of lady solicitors seem to regard the Final Exam as the final. They should concentrate on keeping abreast of the times, write articles for the Gazette, and deliver lectures at the Young Solicitors meetings etc. Some have done so but not nearly enough. (0 They should take more interest in the running of firms in which they are employed. This observation equally applies to male assistants. Manage-ment is a real problem for the small as well as the large firm. The lady solicitor can prove very helpful in regard to such matters as employing secretarial staff etc. and gradually develop the "partnership mind". (g) At present all young solicitors have virtually no experience of "handling" clients. The lady solicitor has a