Introduction
Welcome MAY 2021
Coral Hill
A
pril marked #Stressawarenessmonth, more poignant this year, because of the shared experience we all have from living through lockdown. All Law Societies in the UK are launching initiatives on mental health for the profession. Freely available for everyone in the UK from law student onwards, LawCare too has superb resources which I have so much enjoyed reviewing and incorporating in my own life. Most of us know what to do, but it is more about introducing regular habits to protect ourselves. Our theme for this edition is Legal Tech and Wellbeing. Stress has always been a factor in law firms, but the advent of ubiquitous technology and 24/7 lives takes a toll. The pandemic has highlighted our need to achieve a balance in our lives. For each of us this is important but even cynically, for any business, it makes sense to look after the health of your staff – it prevents burnout, increases productivity, creativity, and of course protects against any litigation, for failing in your duty to provide a safe working environment. Thanks to Manda Banerji, Chair of the Junior Lawyers Division (JLD), and trainee, Alice Hughes, for giving insights into mental health issues and how to de-stress. The 2019 JLD survey showed concerning levels of stress suffered and some of the reasons; and that was before the pandemic. Everyone wants staff to be resilient, but it is essential for senior lawyers to take time to understand the world of junior lawyers which has been transformed in the last decade or so. The pace of technology alone means that resilience is a greater challenge than ever before. With growing numbers of different generations in any workplace, it’s important to ensure there is space for exchanging different experiences, to increase understanding of the pressures in each other’s lives. Innovation UK is all about ensuring that our legal profession keeps a competitive edge internationally and its senior policy and innovation advisor, Theresa Yurkewich Hoffmann gives a fantastic insight to some of the women leading the way and a glossary for those of us foxed by the constant flow of new terminology.
LW magazine is for women qualified as lawyers, solicitors, barristers, advocates, judges, legal executives and those working as paralegals, legal secretaries, advisers or recruiters, the list is endless. We also welcome the many male champions as readers and contributors.
I’m delighted to publish some completely practical suggestions on technology for starting your own law firm or business from Alisha McKerron and McKee Campbell Morrison Solicitors in Glasgow. It takes planning and is time-consuming, so you need to make choices: teach yourself or outsource? Inevitably, even to run our usual lives, we need to keep abreast of new technologies – how much time do we want to put aside for that? How much time do we expect staff to train – do you have a regular training slot? Including this in staff training could well ensure you have a competitive edge. Last, but crucially, is the issue of bias in all AI from Christina Blacklaws. Let’s not ‘sleepwalk into this dystopian nightmare’. This needs constant review and is a fundamental reason for ensuring diversity in technology workforces. ■
Coral Hill
Founder & Editor Alice Hughes created this fantastic design incorporating the flowers symbolising each of the four nations of the UK (rose/England, daffodil/ Wales, thistle/Scotland and cotton flower/NI). The inspiration is from the emblems in the Supreme Court and I was also grateful to receive words in the languages of the four nations from our Editorial Board.
Our mission is to: ■ Provide clear information on gender parity ■ Inspire practical initiatives to create real change ■ Promote innovation in leadership and practice LegalWomen | 5
