"In the years since I started practising law, the profession's landscape has radically changed. Yet many women still find the odds stacked against them in ways that are not experienced by men. More women use their law degree to enter other careers because pupillage and traineeships are so hard to obtain. Certain highly remunerative areas such as commercial law, revenue law, patents and intellectual property are almost exclusively male zones. In a proudly adversarial process, the combative advocate is lauded, except when female. Many women leave practice when faced with the balancing act of their law career and family life, because they feel under pressure to perform in the same competitive way as their male colleagues.
It is important to bear in mind that the law regulates social relations and, as the role of women in society has changed, it has become more crucial that women contribute to legal discourse and the interpretation of laws."