An Interview with Anneliese Day QC

Anneliese Dayon becoming a QC at 38 and 38 weeks pregnant

Clare 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.

To put this into perspective, only 13% of QCs are women

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 were academics at Edinburgh University and ahead of their time, especially in sharing much of the child care. They installed in Anneliese a strong sense of personal happiness and security, together with a belief that through 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. 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. Anneliese’s career has earned her accolades such as “the leading lawyer of her generation”. She now runs an impressive practice which she’s built as a specialist advocate. Her work takes her to courts and tribunals throughout the world, handling cases in a range of diverse fields including commercial, construction, energy, insurance and professional negligence law. 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). Photo by Gail Fogarty Photography Makeup by Rakhi Purohit

TO CONTINUE READING Anneliese’s full interview go to darlingmagazine.co.uk/Women to Watch