For International Women’s Day 2020, women gathered in cities across the globe to have their photographs taken as part of the ‘Face the Future’ campaign, which celebrates gender equality and diversity in the law. Little did they know that we were on the verge of the Covid-19 pandemic, which threatens to undo decades of progress. 

Scottish members of the legal profession were invited to have their photograph taken at the University of Glasgow International Women’s Day event, or the Law Society of Scotland office, and hundreds turned out to participate.

A new book, ‘In Her Words‘ features the portraits and written reflections of this diverse group of women, united by the legal profession, on the extraordinary times that followed that photoshoot and their expectations for the future. Editor, Dana Denis Smith says:

This is purposefully a collection of portraits and subsequent reflections by ordinary women lawyers reflecting on their hopes for the future as the pandemic forced them to stop and stand still for longer than any of us could have envisaged on those special days in March 2020. We are delighted to create this physical memento of 2020 so future generations may understand the legal world as it was for us. 

Emma Flood from the Hey Legal Team was invited to contribute a written submission, and sets out how the mass adoption of remote working and technology can help to build a more inclusive Scottish legal sector.

She says:

My hope for the future of law is that we will continue to utilise technology as far as possible. We have the capacity to be a truly innovative sector, not only in terms of how we carry out our work but also in how we manage our work life balance. Law is so perfectly suited to remote working, flexible work patterns, and to leading the way in equality, and the Coronavirus pandemic has shown us what is possible. 

The book is currently available for pre-order.

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