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In 2025, the legal profession looks very different to the one I stepped into 15 years ago – and yet, when it comes to female leadership in private practice, we all still have unfinished business, writes Melissa Care.
Back in 2010, when I began my career, women made up just 35 per cent of partners or principals in private practice in NSW. Today, that figure has grown to around 44 per cent. It’s progress, but not parity. When we consider that women have outnumbered men entering the legal profession for many years now, it continues to astound me that there aren’t more women in partnership in firms, particularly as you move out of the city firms and towards the regions. However, the future is clearly very positive for female leaders within law firms, with the average age of females in leadership/partnership roles significantly lower than that of males.
I recently became a partner at Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers, a medium-sized firm servicing South West Sydney and the Illawarra. I did so before the age of 40, while raising three young children, being head of its litigation and dispute resolution department, and leading high-stakes matters ranging from $3 million construction disputes to $7 million commercial claims. This wasn’t a traditional pathway to partnership, and there wasn’t a blueprint – and that’s the point.
Creating my own blueprint
There is no clear guidebook for how to build a career in law while raising a family. Certainly not one that accounts for daycare drop off, lunchbox prep, school performances, sick kids, client deadlines, and Federal Court appearances, often all in the same week.
So, I built my own.
When I joined Coutts in 2022, I found myself in an environment that enabled me to thrive both professionally and personally. The medium-sized firm model gave me something rare in law: high-calibre work with sophisticated clients, alongside a culture that respects flexibility and lived experience.
Part of that is due to the philosophy of managing partner Adriana Care, who founded Coutts on precisely those principles – flexibility for senior talent in law, in a location that made sense for their families. Part of it was due to leaving behind the city rat-race of law, with the long hours and the incredible demands on time. But ultimately, it was about finding a firm that fit the future I wanted to create for myself.
My litigation practice spans from the nitty gritty of NCAT to the heights of Federal Court, and I’m proud to say I’ve become a trusted adviser for businesses navigating serious disputes and employment issues. That’s a career for anyone to be proud of.
But beyond billables and outcomes, my journey has been about tenacity. Tenacity in moments when it felt like I was giving 100 per cent of myself to both work and home, and yet still wondering if it was enough. Tenacity in staying the course, even when the profession didn’t always reflect an image of someone who looked or lived like me. Tenacity in choosing a path that was different from anyone driven by success in the field that I had seen before.
What makes this promotion different
Joining the Coutts partnership represents more to me than simply a career milestone. It symbolises a shift in what leadership in law can - and should – look like. It’s about stepping up from being led by a team of incredible partners to leading a team of passionate and driven lawyers, investing in their learning and development. It demonstrates that excellence doesn’t come at the expense of balance, and that parenthood and partnership are not mutually exclusive. I am proud to be modelling this example for my team and for other young female lawyers who find themselves in the same position I was in – without a model to follow, without an example in front of them to replicate.
The pressure on women in law, especially those who are also mothers, to perform at a senior level while happily managing home life, is both persistent and real. The “mum guilt” is familiar to many of us. The moments of wondering, “Am I doing enough here?” at home, or “Can I stay visible, am I delivering for my clients?” at work.
I’ve come to see that what we often label as guilt is actually a marker of deeply caring about both our work and our families. Rather than splitting my identity, I’ve learnt to integrate it – bringing motherhood and being a passionate lawyer together. I show up with the same energy, both as a mother and as a partner of a firm. A litigator and a lunch-packer. A strategic adviser and a school play attendee. I can truly be both.
Why medium firms matter in this conversation
In the conversation around gender equality in law, much of the focus tends to sit with large firms – your top four, or those servicing the top end of town. However, medium-sized law firms have a critical role to play in building the future of the profession, and particularly in creating opportunities in leadership for women.
The ability to transition from a head of department role, as I was, where you’re likely a technical expert in your field and focusing on leadership skills enhancement, to becoming a business leader, is much more achievable. My own career trajectory, being named as head of litigation and dispute resolution at Coutts in 2022 (10 months after I joined the firm), to then being named partner in 2025 reflects the environment that medium firms offer in creating an environment where lawyers can grow their business acumen and develop within the business of law, not just the practice of it. That opportunity is simply not afforded in the same way by the big firms and is certainly part of the reason why partnership occurs later in a lawyer’s career, and particularly so for those who take any kind of career break, such as having children.
I’ve experienced firsthand what it looks like when a firm truly backs its people. Not just in words, but through actionable flexibility, genuine support, and a culture that recognises merit without requiring the sacrifice of identity or family. It’s time we stopped asking women to “fit” into traditional structures and instead, reshape the structures to allow women to thrive.
Looking ahead
As I step into this next chapter as a partner, I get to carry both the privilege and the responsibility. I know there are younger lawyers watching, women, parents, carers, within my team and in the industry, looking for a sign that it’s possible. I know that I have the responsibility to share my knowledge and experience with the next generation of female legal talent and future female leaders in law. I want to be part of the changing face of the legal profession, demonstrating that you can have both sides – your own identity outside of work, and the person you show up as in the courtroom.
Yes, the industry still has more work to do – but I’m proud to be part of a firm that sees leadership potential in performance, not just in time at the desk. That values outcomes for our clients, not just optics about who has the most billable hours and is in at first light and out long after the sun goes down.
Because we can’t afford to keep losing brilliant legal minds to burnout, inflexibility, or outdated notions of what a lawyer should be. The future of law depends on embracing flexibility, embracing female leaders, and showcasing diverse paths to leadership – including mine.
Melissa Care is a partner at Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers.
