For every female lawyer who’s running on low battery
As female lawyers, we’re often expected to power through; to stay switched on and performing at our best, even when we’re beginning to run on empty.
But in her excellent book Wintering, Katherine May offers us a different perspective: winter isn’t a sign of failure or stagnation. It’s part of a natural cycle. A time when growth goes underground, gathering strength.
Just like us.
If you’ve ever underpriced a job… this one’s for you
Let me tell you a quick story.
One time, I gave a client a fixed fee to draft a contract.
Nice and simple, I thought. One draft, job done.
Except… It was not one draft.
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.