Women barristers ‘driving force’ of growth at Westgate Chambers
8th March 2023
Author EditorPosted on Categories Business
The Brighton-based Chambers celebrates the dedication of high-achieving individuals and highlights the connection between its values and International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is our opportunity to publicly celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women whilst progressing the fight to accelerate and achieve gender parity.
At Westgate Chambers, we appreciate the enormous everyday achievements of the women in chambers; they are the driving force behind our recent growth and our increasing profile within the legal market. They are also unbelievably dedicated and high achieving individuals which should be celebrated in itself.
As March 8th comes around again, this is the perfect time to celebrate the hard work our female members do every day to ensure every woman looking to forge a career at the Bar joins a profession that genuinely lives up to the values of International Women’s Day.
We are proud of our female members’ commitment to lead by example. They have taken leading positions at the legal societies and associations shaping the future of the legal profession.
Linda Taylor is Chair of the Private Law Sub Group Committee of the Sussex Family Justice Board. Jodie Cudworth is the Social Secretary for the FLBA. These are only two examples; our members are also continually speaking to audiences of solicitors, law students and other community organisations.
Our female members lead aspiring female lawyers through the complexities of the most difficult parts of the law, through mock trials and through pupillage and other placements, always on hand to motivate and inspire and taking every opportunity to share their enormous knowledge so other women can follow their achievements and make their own invaluable impact on the legal profession.
As we reflect on the hugely inspirational role women are playing in shaping the legal industry, it is also worth noting that while we are proud of the inspirational work our female members do, it is only part of a much wider trend. Female lawyers now lead Resolution, Sussex Law Society, Eastbourne Law Society, Worthing Law Society and the West Kent and East Sussex Collaborative Law Pod.
They are just as focused on making sure Westgate Chambers continues to maintain the exceptionally high standards of diversity and equality we set early in Chambers’ life. Maria Hancock is our Joint Deputy Head of Chambers and heads our renowned Family Law team. Charmaine Wilson is Chambers Equality and Diversity Officer, whilst Laura Buchan is our Joint Head of Pupillage, working alongside Ayisha Robertson as Head of Mini-Pupillage.
And our social side is just as focused on gender parity with our cricket team enjoying a successful chapter under the captaincy of Sarah Taite.