The Law Society is to feature in a special edition of RTÉ’s Nationwide on International Women’s Day (8 March).
The programme, which starts at 7pm, will include a report on last year’s celebration of 100 years of women in law, as well the naming of the Moya Quinlan Lecture Theatre in honour of the Law Society’s first female president.
To mark the centenary, the Law Society held a variety of events, a special exhibition, and a series of Gazette articles on remarkable lawyers from the past and present.
Moya Quinlan was the first woman to be elected to the Council of the Law Society in 1968 and served as president in 1980. Her son Michael – also a past-president of the organisation – is among those interviewed by Nationwide.
Nationwide also speaks to Geraldine Clarke SC (small picture), another past-president of the Law Society who served on the Council with Moya Quinlan.
‘Inspire inclusion’
International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements, raises awareness about discrimination, and strives for action on gender equality. This year’s theme is ‘Inspire inclusion’.
Ten years ago, Ireland became the first legal profession in the world to have a female majority, and 2023 has seen this trend increase to 60% of admissions.
In 2016, the Law Society set up the Women in Leadership Programme, which aims to empower and support women in the legal profession seeking to advance their careers to a senior level.
The programme is open to solicitors throughout the country and involves mentors representing every sector of the profession.
Call to regional solicitors
Writing about her experience of the programme in the March 2024 issue of the Gazette, mentee Aoife McNicholl described the experience of being part of a group of leading female lawyers as “powerful and inspiring”.
This year, the Law Society is urging more regional solicitors to get involved as mentors and mentees and support their local communities.
Applications for mentors and mentees for the 2024 programme will open on 8 April 2024.
The Law Society also continues to encourage legal firms to sign up to its GEDI Charter to help nurture a culture of inclusion, mutual respect, and equal opportunities within the legal profession.