In a recent global report, it was found that 46% of female lawyers resign half way through their careers. Many women felt that work environments do not allow for a balance between career and family, which often results in a general lack of support for career advancement. The rationale behind the Mentoring Programme is to redress this attitude by providing recently graduated law students and junior attorneys with the opportunity to be mentored by female partners. The selection of a mentor is based on their proficiency in their practice area of specialty and who has extended themselves beyond the challenges and difficulties traditionally experienced by women in their respective field.
The mentor will have a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in their field of expertise alongside, a comprehensive understanding of what is required to balance work with personal life, as well as the demands of one’s career. A mentee will be assigned to a mentor, whose focus will be to empower their mentee with resilient leadership skills, offer reflective guidance and emotional support.
The Mentee will have the exuberance and thirst for learning and developing new skills, and accept the support given, which will escalate into the advancement of their desired career.
Ideally, the mentor and mentee will be located in the same country and will correspond via email or Skype. The WLN Mentoring Programme aims to inculcate a sense of pride in the legal profession, sustained career development and friendship.
We have highlighted below; the main categories of the Mentoring Programme:
Managing Partner Programme
It is crucial to encourage further senior partners to become managing partners within legal practices globally. We are aware that this is a vital aspect of our organisation; to aid and cultivate the development of women in senior positions in law firms.
From a global perspective; there are a substantial small number of female managing partners who take the plunge to set up their own law firms. Hence, it is our duty to promote more senior partners to build their very own success and practices, globally. Furthermore, the statistics of global female managing partners who have become their own superior have indeed proven to be highly successful within their own firms and have also become inspirational figures within the legal profession.
Our initiative is to invite senior managing partners to converse about their own challenges that they faced when setting up their own practices or when they were becoming a partner of a successful firm. The initiative will provide an insight to senior partners who are ardent to develop their careers further. Thus, the workshop is aimed at providing support and informative advice from women who have already been through the experience, have pursued their goals and aspirations and have become highly affluent in their expertise and within the industry.
Women on Boards
A collective venture that supports women who are seeking to leverage their professional skills and experiences onto other board level roles. WLN will encourage more women to become members of board of directors within large corporations and listed global companies.
It is evident that within the global business communities, there is a lack of transparency in relation to the information needed in order for women to get on board. Therefore, the workshop is aimed to connect women with influential individuals or business companies around the world; thus, assisting females in the legal sector to pursue the right pathways in achieving this.
Diversity Developments
The promotion of diversity within the working environment is key for the overall success of individuals and the firm. WLN aspire to educate to empower companies regarding the importance of understanding each professional and their specific personal and occupational needs.
To help educate companies to embed a changing of mind set; law firms need to adopt the idea that working females are reaching out for flexibility and diversity within their work place. WLN are aware that many females within the industry are finding it difficult to overcome their concerns, as the work place lack knowledge of their employee’s individual needs, and as a result, many females terminate their professional career. Consequently, we will assist law firms with what professional females are searching for:
- Flexible working hours
- Child support facilities
- Working from home
- Part time hours
- Loyalty Rewards
- Networking opportunities within their organisations
