When your whole team disappears overnight
I want to tell you a story I’ve never shared before.
When I returned from maternity leave after having my first child, I had been off for a full 12 months, and I had absolutely loved it. It was wonderful and challenging in all the ways new motherhood is. But as my return date approached, the nerves started to set in.
Could I still draft an ET3 response to a whistleblowing claim?
Would I be able to speak coherently in a meeting?
Would I remember… anything?
If you’re tired of spinning plates, read this
Last week, we welcomed executive coach Linda Spink (no relation!) to Female Lawyers’ Club for a brilliant, grounding, and very human masterclass about sustaining a long, successful legal career without burning out.
Linda works almost exclusively with lawyers: barristers, partners, senior associates, and women navigating big life transitions. The session was warm, reassuring, and full of practical wisdom that resonated with everyone who joined in.
Here are the top insights and takeaways.
50 years of progress (and why the work isn’t done yet)
Today is a landmark day! It marks 50 years since the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 was passed as law in the UK - a milestone worth celebrating, reflecting how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go.
It’s shocking to remember that before the Act, women in the UK could be refused the right to open a bank account without a male co-signatory or guarantor, effectively requiring “a man to accompany” them in financial life. It sounds almost unbelievable today, but it really wasn’t that long ago.
What are you willing to tolerate?
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hearing psychologist and author John Amaechi speak at Gunnercooke’s annual Symposium.
He has that rare ability to combine insight with humour - to make you laugh one moment and reflect deeply the next. His calm presence and gift for storytelling left a real impression on the room.
What five senior women partners taught me about leadership
When I finished interviewing Alison Eddy for my book chapter, I burst into tears.
Not because she said anything upsetting - quite the opposite.
Alison is the former senior partner at Irwin Mitchell (now the Partner Ambassador for Inclusion at the same firm), and she spoke with such clarity, empathy, and emotional intelligence about her leadership journey that I suddenly realised what I’d been missing throughout my own legal career.