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‘Many firms recognise maternity leave should not be prohibitive’
While there are still “pockets” of the industry that would view time off for family reasons as career-limiting, the profession is moving in the right direction in better supporting women, argues one partner.
Jerome Doraisamy
Last year, Lawyers Weekly showcased stories from female lawyers who had faced bias and discrimination by virtue of their pregnancies and family planning. One notion that became apparent – at least to this writer – was that some women in the legal profession may feel that they are unable to start a family and take maternity leave until such time as they “have enough runs on the board” or have attained a high enough position to justify such an extended period away from the office.
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For one partner, however, becoming a mother hasn’t hindered her progression at all.
Speaking in the aftermath of the 2019 Women in Law Awards, at which she won the Partner of the Year – BigLaw category, HFW partner Stephanie Lambert (pictured) said there is certainly truth to the impression that women cannot start family planning and be away from the office if they wish to rise through the ranks.
“I know many females who have been subjected to the notion that taking time off for maternity leave will prejudice your PQE and career progression,” she reflected.
But things are changing, she qualified, saying that employers do not necessarily see such personal milestones as a constraint to promotion anymore.
“I wasn’t a partner when I had Ace (my son) so I don’t believe having a child when you’re an associate or senior associate is prohibitive. We have many associates and senior associates at HFW that have families and they are still granted the same opportunities to progress their career as others, for example, by way of client opportunities and development programs,” Ms Lambert said.
“I think many firms recognise that it should not be prohibitive to career progression and so, while I am sure there are still pockets in the industry that take this view, I believe it is one which is becoming outdated.”
Being a lawyer “is really a lifestyle”, she espoused, positing that one needs to be flexible with one’s personal and professional life and take the good with the bad.
“I always try to make the most of any downtime and really encourage my team to do the same,” she mused.
“Strategies that I’ve implemented this year have included finding a new routine for managing family and work commitments, ensuring my team is equipped with the skills they need to do more client interfacing and looking at new ways to grow the business and improve on service levels. Having assistance at home also helps!” she said.
This is not to say, however, that more cannot be done to better support women in the workplace, Ms Lambert ceded.
Having a culture that supports flexible working arrangements, for example, “is really important” in allowing women the flexibility to have families if they so wish and still progress upwards.
“You need to allow people flexibly to grow and retain good staff. It’s also important for firms to have structured development programs in place to remove elements of unconscious bias and create transparency in relation to career progression,” Ms Lambert argued.
“I also think having a partner mentor to support your career progression and be a ‘champion’ for you is a very effective tool for providing professional and personal encouragement.”
When asked for advice she would offer to emerging females in the legal profession who want to make partner but are concerned about career progression, she said that there is much that one can do to “set yourself up and establish your position in the firm beforehand”.
For example, she said, “having a strong internal profile is something that can really advantage you as you’ll find that people outside of your immediate group will be more inclined to support your career progression to partnership when they know who you are and what you do rather than just a name on the page (which can often happen in big firms).”
“Staying in touch with the firm and your clients while on maternity leave also assists, such as attending firm functions and team meetings, having a coffee catch-up with a client, these are things which I myself have done and female (and male) colleagues in our firm have also done as it allows you to stay connected with the firm while still maintaining the time you need with your new family.”
Emerging from last Friday night’s Women in Law Awards as a winner has served to validate the path Ms Lambert took and was testament, she posited, to one’s aspirations being achievable.
“It wasn’t an easy process coming back to work in a more senior position while navigating my family life with a newborn so for me this award really highlights that it is possible to achieve your aspirations and break through barriers with hard work, strong mentors and a firm that supports you,” she concluded.
