INSPIRING WOMAN
Anneliese Day on becoming a QC at 38 and 38 weeks pregnant
C
lare Denning had the pleasure of meeting Anneliese Day QC, an exceptionally talented lawyer, over a coffee at Richmond Hill Hotel. Clare was struck by her candour, openness and warmth as Anneliese recounted the turning points in her life: the challenges, the breakthroughs, the ups and downs and everything in between.
Anneliese’s career has earned her accolades such as “the leading lawyer of her generation”. She now runs an impressive Photo by Gail Fogarty Photography practice which Makeup by Rakhi Purohit she’s built as a specialist were academics at Edinburgh advocate. Her work takes her to University and ahead of their courts and tribunals throughout time, especially in sharing much the world, handling cases in a of the child care. They installed range of diverse fields including in Anneliese a strong sense of commercial, construction, energy, personal happiness and security, insurance and professional negligence law. together with a belief that through
To put this into perspective, only 13% of QCs are women
hard work and determination she could achieve anything. Following a gap year in Paris, she went on to study law at Clare College, Cambridge University, where she thrived academically (obtaining a first-class degree) and made many life-long friends.
As a child Anneliese had her heart set on becoming an actor. However, she can thank her father for turning her performing talents to pursuing a career as a barrister instead. This offered more security, intellectual challenge and came with the freedom of being self-employed. Both her parents
After Cambridge, she continued her law studies at Harvard University where she had been awarded the prestigious Kennedy scholarship. A wellearned two month break from studies followed and was spent travelling in Peru with her sister, before returning to the UK for Bar School and Pupillage.
When she became a QC she was just 38 and 38 weeks pregnant with her second child. Two years later she was named Barrister of the Year by The Lawyer Magazine and was listed in Debretts as one of the 500 most influential people in the UK. She has also been appointed a Bencher of Inner Temple (members of The Inns of Court hold the exclusive right to Call students to practise law at the Bar of England and Wales). TO CONTINUE READING Anneliese’s full interview go to darlingmagazine.co.uk/Women to Watch
read more at darlingmagazine.co.uk spring 20
25