4 October 2005
Law schools need to educate women about the difficulty of combining motherhood and working in private legal practice, law lecturer Dr Jeannie Paterson will tell a seminar today.
Dr Paterson, a senior lecturer in the law faculty, said she felt increasingly uneasy encouraging female students to pursue their interest in commercial practice without also providing information about the difficulties a significant proportion of them would face if they became mothers.
"Motherhood is not generally a topic of much interest to students in their early 20s, yet anecdotal and statistical evidence suggests commercial practice commonly proves an almost unmanageable career option for women who have children," she said.
"We train students to be lawyers, yet fail to inform them about the issues they may face in trying to manage a work/life balance and, in particular, trying to combine private practice and motherhood.
"Ideally the profession itself would address some of these structural issues that make it difficult for women lawyers to combine motherhood and legal practice. However, law schools also need to take some responsibility.
"Most law schools promote private practice as a desirable and achievable career choice for their graduates, however they don't make it clear how difficult it is to combine work and motherhood.
"Law students are probably aware there are a disproportionately small number of women in private practice, but many assume they can overcome any hurdles they face."
Dr Paterson said law schools needed to conduct more research on the expectations of students and raise awareness about work/life balance issues.
"Law schools may also want to promote a range of legal careers other than private practice, including those that don't necessarily bring high financial rewards but allow a more balanced lifestyle," she said.
Women comprise about 50 per cent of law graduates, articled law clerks and first-year solicitors but a study by the Law Institute of Victoria found women comprised only 23 per cent of lawyers in private firms and 12 per cent of partners in private law firms.
What: 'Legal practice, legal education and the myth of motherhood' seminar
When: Tuesday 4 October, 1 pm
Where: Staff library, second floor, building 12, Monash University, Clayton campus
RSVP: Contact Ms Helen Clements on +61 3 9905 3344
For further information contact Dr Jeannie Paterson on +61 3 9905 3399 or Ms Natasha Whalley, Media Communications, on +61 3 9905 9201 or 0437 458 457.
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