A History Of Women In Law By Alison Eddy

Women have come a long way in the legal profession since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act received Royal Assent in December 1919, following sustained campaigning by women to join the profession, many of whose applications had been rejected. 

Dana Denis-Smith, an inspirational lawyer herself, founded The First 100 Years Project in 2014 to share the stories and celebrate the achievements of the amazing women who came before us. These were the pioneers, campaigning for legal reform and women’s rights, and on whose shoulders we stand. The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inspire  Inclusion. Inclusion is about belonging, and reminding ourselves of the achievements of those who came before us helps engender a sense of belonging to the profession.

In 1922 Carrie Morrison, Maud Crofts, Mary Sykes and Mary Pickup were the first women to sit the Law Society final examination and Ivy Williams became  the first woman called to the Bar in England & Wales. Rather than practise as a barrister, Ivy Williams chose to teach, inspiring the next generation of women lawyers and becoming the first woman to teach law at a university. Helen Normanton was the first woman to practise as a barrister, being called to the Bar a few months after Ivy Williams, and went on to be the first female counsel to appear in in the High Court of Justice.

In 1949 Rose Heilbron and Helen Normanton  became the first two women to take silk . In 1972 Rose Heilbron was appointed the first woman judge at the Old Bailey.

Although The SD(R) Act 1919 enabled women to practise as solicitors and barristers, it didn’t prevent sex discrimination and equality was a long way off. It wasn’t at all unusual for a woman to be rejected by a law firm or set of chambers simply on the basis that they didn’t accept applications from women. 

For the first 50 years progress was painfully slow.  Sexual harassment was rife, women were paid less than men for the same work and there was nothing to prevent employers treating women less favourably simply because they were women. 

Fast forward to the 1960s which was a time of profound social change. In 1960 only 2% of solicitors were women. The 1970s Women’s Liberation Movement gained huge momentum, campaigning for women to achieve equality. It was a time of hope & optimism, and a new generation of women went to work wearing suits for the first time and thinking it was possible to have it all.  

The Equal Pay Act 1970, which came into force at the same time as the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, meant women could no longer be paid less or treated less favourably because of their sex. Sexual harassment became unlawful.

By the early ‘70s women were starting to make it to partnership in large city law firms but even by 1983 only 4.5% of partners in law firms were women. Historically the route to partnership would clash with women taking on childcare responsibilities, making it far harder for women to achieve promotion. By the end of the ‘80s still only 11% of solicitors were women.

The Law Society represents and supports solicitors in England and Wales. Catherine Evans was the first woman member of the Law Society’s council in 1977, Carolyn Kirby was the first woman President in 2002/3 and Stephanie Boyce was the first minority ethnic President in 2021/22.The Law Society now actively encourages applications from non traditional backgrounds and has set up divisions to support diversity & inclusion.

In 2016 Dr Victoria McCloud became the first openly transgender woman appointed to the High Court.

In 2017 Brenda Hale became the first woman to be appointed president of the Supreme Court, a proud feminist, who used her voice to argue that a legal profession and judiciary more representative of the society they serve creates more confidence in the justice system.

Law firms are now unrecognisable from those 30 years ago. Over 60% of solicitors are women. It’s not an easy balancing act combining professional, family and personal lives but it is easier now to combine being a mother with a career. The pandemic accelerated a much needed change in attitude towards flexible working, which had often been viewed as a key barrier to women’s career progression. We talk about work life balance, family friendly policies, wellbeing and building resilience; conversations we wouldn’t have had in decades gone by.

Whilst we celebrate what’s been achieved there’s more to do. Women still represent less than 50% of the partnership in most law firms. At the very least we need aspirational targets for women in senior roles. We also need a clear focus on intersectionality. The First (now Next) 100 Years project released a video series in 2023 shining a light on women leaders from underrepresented communities who shared inspiring stories of the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. 

The future is now very bright for young women lawyers. We have many more female role models in senior roles, sharing their stories and showing it’s possible to make your dreams a reality.