UC Women in Law
Hello and welcome to UC Women In Law! We’re a brand new society on campus in 2017 and we’re all about empowering women in the School of Law and beyond.
Not just for women
We want to encourage the young women studying law to thrive in their future careers and at law school as we continue to fight to minimise the gender gap in current New Zealand law firms. Despite the title our society will always be somewhere that encourages the spirit of inclusiveness, equality and intersectionality. We welcome anyone to join us, male or female, law student or not - everyone is welcome and membership is free!
Club objectives
Our key priorities are:
- Empower and champion women in law
- Advocate for the interests and welfare of women in law
- Promote wider understanding of feminist perspectives in the School of Law and wider legal community
- Celebrate the role and achievements of women in law
- Further the community between women in law
- Encourage networks between women in the School of Law and women in the legal community
- Promote leadership and career opportunities for women
Fighting for equality
As discussed by the New Zealand Law Society, women make up 60% of employees in law firms. Despite this, only 26% of directors or partners in said firms are women. We see and understand female law graduates struggling to reach the top tiers within their firms and therefore do not get recognition within society as a whole.
We need a Women in Law Society so that we have an opportunity to work together to have our voices heard and to create an inclusive legal field for all - not to mention provide a chance for us at law school to meet some new people.
UC Women in Law will be running numerous events throughout 2017. First up is launch event on March 1st. In Semester One, we will also be running workshops to provide support to students applying for clerkships and looking to improve their interview skills and confidence, as well as running a quiz night. We intend to run a Wine and Cheese night in Semester Two, a joint networking event with IPLS to understand what the average day of a practicing lawyer looks like, and many more networking opportunities with fellow law students, law firms, and others.
