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IWD Campaign 2025 Featurette-Former Female Presidents of the Law Society of England and Wales


Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce (Hon. Causa)- President of The Law Society of England and Wales (2021-2022)


This years’ theme “Accelerate Action for women’s equality” emphasises on the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.


You made history as the first woman of colour to become President of the Law Society of England and Wales.


During your tenure as Law Society President;

Your presidential theme was;

"My vision is to leave the profession more diverse and inclusive than the one I entered. My mission is to enable equality of opportunity and equity, that no one is unfairly excluded from a profession because of their characteristics or socio-economic background.

That the determinants to success and how far you can go are your ability, skills and aptitude”.


What systemic barriers and biases did you encounter that specifically impacted women in the Legal sector?


In March 2021, I became the 177th, the sixth female and the first person of colour to become president of the Law Society of England and Wales in the society’s almost two-hundred-year history. Despite the Law Society’s long history, it was only in 2000 it gained its first female president and as we enter its two hundredth year anniversary, it has only had seven female presidents to date.


In addition, the lack of gender parity at the most senior levels of the legal profession is stark. “If we aim, as legal professionals, to advocate effectively for equality and inclusion, we must lead by example to be credible role models.” - Almudena Arpón de Mendívil-President, International Bar Association.


I have spoken openly about the systemic barriers that I encountered rooted deeply in a lack of financial and social currency that I could withdraw from nor did I have access to those all important networks from which I could tap into. Despite women being in the majority of practising solicitors in England and Wales we are still not being promoted into senior positions at the same pace or level as our male counterparts. 


I should make it clear that it is not just the legal profession where the glass ceiling is preventing women from advancing. Across financial and professional services barriers are in place preventing women from achieving their full potential and being recognised for their individual talents mainly due to stereotypes about their capabilities. Further, women struggle to gain equal pay and recognition in decision-making roles compared to male counterparts, we have seen this far too often in politics or women who have held high profile positions being held to a higher standard than men, resulting in their subsequent dismissal/resignation.

I have worked to address these issues through advocacy for equity and inclusion and being a visible remodel.


What are some of the feasible ways in which you were able to address these systemic barriers and biases?

(For example, implementing or shaping policy that positively impacts women’s advancement?)


I addressed systemic barriers and biases in the legal profession through several impactful initiatives:



My own experiences helped shape my advocacy for equity and diversity in the legal profession, equipping me to implement policies that reflect a broader understanding of the challenges and solutions needed.


What role do you think the Law Society (as an Independent professional body for solicitors in England and Wales) plays in effecting actual change with regards to female solicitors?


To better understand the issues that affect women working in law, the Law Society under the then President, Christina Blacklaws ran a survey from November 2017 to January 2018.


The survey captured 7,781 responses from women and men. Using these findings, the Law Society hosted – or supported members to host – 225 roundtable discussions around the world with women from across the legal profession. The findings from these discussions led to the Women in Law Pledge to help tackle the issue of women's equality within the legal profession. The pledge seeks to gain commitment from firms and organisations to support women into senior positions. 


Ultimately as the representative body of over 200,000 solicitors in England and Wales, the Law Society plays a critical role in driving change for female solicitors by implementing targeted initiatives to address systemic barriers and promote gender equality and advocating for a more equal profession where everyone gets to thrive and succeed and are not held back or denied opportunities because of their gender or any other diverse characteristic.


What role do you think the implementation of the SQE as a route to qualification plays in advancing women’s professional progress in the legal sector?


For more than 30 years, aspiring solicitors in England and Wales would have to complete a law degree, the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and two years of work-based training (a ‘training contract’) to become a fully-fledged practitioner. 


The status quo was changed on 1 September 2021, when the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).


The new system was originally intended, in part, to further the legal sector’s desire to widen diversity and inclusion and boost social mobility.


The implementation of the SQE was a significant step toward advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, including for women. The SQE was seen as removing "artificial and unjustifiable barriers" to entry, such as high costs and rigid educational pathways, which have historically hindered underrepresented groups, including women, from qualifying as solicitors. However, I have concerns about funding accessibility for SQE preparation, the cost of the SQE is out of reach for far too many, there is a need for financial support to ensure it fulfils its potential to promote equality. 


Further, following a number of issues and concerns with the SQE the SRA has commissioned an independent review to evaluate whether the SQE is on track to achieving some of its objectives. Currently women remain in the majority at entry level in the solicitor profession, it is difficult to say  what role the SQE has played in this but without proper funded support and the removal of artificial barriers, the SQE will fail to do what it was intended to do.


According to data from the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take 134 years, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity in 2158.

What resources do you think organisations should be allocating to “accelerate action” for women and girls?


The above data is disheartening, it is simply unacceptable that it could take a 134 years for full gender parity to be achieved.


We must address the structural barriers that are holding talented candidates back, that cannot be done if the recent roll back on diversity initiatives continues at pace, many citing  “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States.” for rolling back on EDI initiatives.  Women and those from a diverse background remain significantly underrepresented in the senior parts of our profession, this disparity needs to be addressed not shelved. 


Recent statistics from the Solicitors Regulation Authority of women law firms shows the proportion of women has risen from 48% in 2015 to 53% in 2023. The seniority gap for women remains but has narrowed slightly since 2015:


Businesses have an ethical responsibility to push back against discriminatory practices and behaviours, it is in their interests to do so. The barriers to achieving gender parity remain. Initiatives such as, coaching and mentoring, flexible working, leadership training and adequate resources can play a significant role in accelerating action towards gender parity.


As an Individual, what are the steps you take in your sphere of influence to “accelerate action” and positively impact women’s advancement?


All of us can take meaningful steps within our sphere of influence to accelerate action and positively impact women’s advancement by challenging Bias and Stereotypes, through mentorship and sponsorship, advocating for policies, promoting education and skills development and amplifying women’s voices.


I remain committed to and invested in making the legal profession more diverse and inclusive than the one I entered. That the determinant as to how far you can go in our profession is your ability and aptitude and not because of your gender, race, sexuality, disability, religion, socioeconomic background or any other characteristic, but a world and profession where you are given the same equality of opportunity and where the barriers seen and unseen are no longer obstacles to reaching the top of our profession.


We cannot rest on our laurels nor can we wait for others to effect change, it is incumbent upon each and everyone of us to educate ourselves and to be part of the change that we want to see, to take responsibility for the role we can each play in achieving equity.



Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce (Hon. Causa)

Honorary Professor of Law

Former President of the Law Society of England and Wales


https://www.linkedin.com/in/i-stephanie-boyce-fkc-frsa-a4757062/

http://www.istephanieboyce.com/


March 2025



Interviewed by Charity Mafuba,

Commissioning Editor,

Solicitor (England and Wales), New York Attorney