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New Chairwoman for Association of Women Solicitors

Fiona Fitzgerald is to be the new Chairwoman of the Association of Women Solicitors, it was announced at the AGM, 13 March 2008, Millennium Hotel Mayfair, where Attorney General Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC was the guest speaker.

Fiona Fitzgerald becomes the new chairwoman in the Association’s 85th anniversary and has vowed to focus on equality of pay in her year in office.

Today, over 60% of trainees are women but they are paid on average 12.8% less than male trainees. Across all sectors in private practice women are on average paid less. The issue now facing the profession is not how to get women into the law but how to encourage them to stay and also how to ensure there is equality for all.

Fiona Fitzgerald says: “Women are entering the legal profession at an unprecedented level. What is hard to understand is why women are on average paid less than males from trainees to partners. One of the questions I am constantly asked is why is there a need for an association such as ours. Part of that answer is the fact that women continue to be paid less than men.”

The AWS aims to engage with women in every sector of the profession, be it in private practice, in-house, in government or as holders of judicial office. Fiona herself is a partner at Colemans-ctts which is a national practice with over 270 staff. She is an operational partner of the legal expenses and personal injury division in the Kingston-upon-Thames offices of Colemans-ctts.

The AWS has a strong reputation as a national network helping each women solicitor at every stage of her career. They offer a mentoring scheme, help with maternity and employment, and CPD-accredited courses, including one aimed at getting women and men back into the profession after a career break. The Association also strives to be the voice of women solicitors, speaking out on issues which affect them. Many concerns, such as the battle for law firms to retain talent after 3 years PQE, affect not only women but, increasingly, men as well.

Says Fiona Fitzgerald: “We work with all areas of the profession in assisting them to recruit, retain and promote women”.

The Association of Women Solicitors is a recognised group of the Law Society. Membership is available to any woman solicitor or trainee, either in or seeking a training contract. Applications can be made by going to the AWS website www.womensolicitors.org.uk

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