Tradition vs Transition: all I am asking is for us to create access paths for returners back to law

I spent the past few weeks enjoying a semi-working holiday in my native Transylvania.

As I recently posted about here on LinkedIn, I have been learning about some of the local village traditions, including the wearing of the cununa, a beautifully hand-crafted crown or garland traditionally worn by girls during their religious confirmation at 14 and then until their marriage.

This made me think about the role that traditions play in many spheres of our lives, including in our chosen professions. It seems to me that some traditions are more worthy of celebration and preservation than others. More often than not, we need to learn how to transition out of traditions that are no longer fit for purpose and leave some of our peers behind.

One "tradition" we often encounter in the legal sector is the way that would-be returners are frequently treated as square pegs in a world of round holes: they end up completely locked out from the profession if they have fully stepped out for a while. Trying to get a foot back in the door at a firm that hasn’t previously employed them is pretty much impossible.

I often think this problem is something that a lot of senior lawyers and HR managers don't know about.  They create policies to support employees within their own firm taking a year or so out due to caring responsibilities or other life events, and are generally supportive when it comes to reintegrating these people after their time away. The steep uphill struggle that talented lawyers face in getting back into work after spending time outside the system is not the same as that of those protected by policies and internal management structures - many of them become "invisibles" to the job market and rather than seeing their CVs dismantled for what they cannot do, they need to be hired for they can do! Try being a carer and see just how many new skills you develop!

We've done better in opening up the profession for underrepresented group but for returners nothing has really changed. My business has been pushing and championing for change but even after more than a decade doing it I can say hand on heart that returners is one of the big remaining barriers to true diversity in the industry. We have seen the profession opening up to, and indeed embracing, people of different ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds, celebrating different sexual orientations, neurodiversity, etc. But there is still this one stubborn hurdle remaining, and I don’t feel it is being talked about enough.

It has been my life’s battle to champion returners, the overwhelming majority of whom are mothers. It’s why I set up Obelisk. It’s why we run our Legal Returners’ Springboard course and our year-long mentoring scheme to help lawyers get back into legal jobs.

It has been our experience that while many firms make all the right supportive noises, when it actually comes to hiring returners - especially mums - there is always a reason why another candidate is better suited: "they have more relevant experience" / "they can hit the ground running faster" / "their knowledge is more up-to-date" / and so on.

With a new school year around the corner this is a perfect time for firms to put their money where their mouth is, stop discriminating against (mostly female) returners and give them the chance they deserve – these candidates are so smart and switched on, so obviously good at balancing different responsibilities, and have so much valuable life experience to put at an employer’s disposal.  And you’d better believe they are just as hungry to prove themselves as any hotshot NQ. All they need is that one opportunity to shine.

This month, I am excited about…

👩👧 …spending time with my family and friend and slowing down to build the energy bank we usually burn through as we approach Christmas. I am looking forward to another Paris trip with my daughter before she returns to school next week. I’m enjoying this precious time-out with my family, away from the demands of everyday life. Less life admin, more quality time with loved ones, is my motto this month.