Power Of Pride - Birmingham Pride 2021

COMMITTEE NEWS

POWER OF PRIDE - BIRMINGHAM PRIDE 2021

Birmingham Pride is taking place on 25th September 2021 and I could not be happier writes Tim Evans, Chair of Birmingham Law Society’s LGBTQ+ subcommittee and Legal Director of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

I personally feel that, over the last eighteen months, with national lockdowns and working from home, progression for equality and acceptance of LGBTQ+ lawyers has paused (if not gone backwards).

We already know that LGBTQ+ lawyers, who are not 'out' in the workplace, are more likely to leave their job. We also know that many LGBTQ+ lawyers are still not comfortable with bringing their full selves to work, which can hold back careers and cause mental health problems. Worse still, many lesbian, gay, bi, trans and non-binary people experience bullying and harassment in the workplace.

With lockdown restrictions in place, some LGBTQ+ lawyers will have lost the opportunity to be proud at work and continue to be confident and visible role models. Others will have lost their confidence to come out, as remote working has broken connections and, for new colleagues joining a new team online, prevented the connections and comfortable environments in which to come out to their new employers. We also need to consider those LGBTQ+ lawyers who have been forced to work from home without access to their support systems and safe spaces: some will experience discrimination and abuse in their home due to being LGBTQ+.

Pride promotes an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for all. Birmingham Pride is a reminder of what has been achieved but is also a space to advocate for the work we need to do. This is particularly important for those who may not otherwise have felt able to reach out and connect – particularly so during the last eighteen months. More than ever, this is a time to be inclusive, have a sense of community and think about others. This is why I am looking forward to Birmingham Pride 2021, more so than any other.

Gowling WLG has had a float at the last three Birmingham Pride events, and we will be there again for our fourth event. Please do keep an eye out for us and give us a wave. Gowling WLG has had an internal network (Openhouse) for many years and was named in the Stonewall Top 100 alongside 16 law firms represented in the Top 100 in a marked success for the legal sector, with the industry named one of the most LGBT+ friendly in 2019.

Whether you are LGBTQ+ or an Ally, Birmingham Pride is a time for celebration, remembrance, love and support; the march is one of the most important aspects of the Birmingham Pride weekend.

Everyone is welcome to be part of the community and to enjoy the excitement of the day, but also to listen to those voices marching and listen to their messages.

Birmingham Law Society is again supporting Birmingham Pride this year, being part of the march and inviting as many members as possible to join them for what will, no doubt, be an uplifting and empowering day.

Birmingham Law Society's Equality and Diversity Committee meets regularly to discuss how Birmingham Law Society and the committee can help LGBTQ+ lawyers and the Birmingham law profession build an inclusive environment. Please feel free to contact either me, or the EDI Committee chair, Karen Bailey (karen@baileywright.com) if you are interested in joining the LGBTQ+ sub-committee.

Happy Birmingham Pride 2021.

INTRODUCING THE NEW BLS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FOR 2021/22

Denise Morris is an award-winning Networker & Founder of TAG Network Midlands; an inclusive networking community and membership organisation that advocates the professional development of multisector Students, Graduates, Professionals, Entrepreneurs, and Leaders within the Midlands region. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, youth empowerment, and providing people from different backgrounds and career disciplines access to learning and development, and equal opportunities. Denise is also Editor-In-Chief of TAG Network Midlands Insider Magazine which showcases and features the finest talent of the Midlands ranging from young professionals and leaders who have inspirational stories to share.

Nisha Panchal’s strength lies in facilitating learning for everyone, regardless of what stage they’re at in their career. She has extensive experience in the legal sector having worked both in-house and as a consultant, providing bespoke programmes and guidance designed to help everyone maximise their potential, she now heads up the Learning and Development team at HCR. Legal professionals have many calls on their time, her aim is to provide content and learning events that are engaging, informative, powerful, and easy to digest, whilst being inclusive and weaving in advancements in technology and innovation.

Chrissie Wolfe is a multi award-winning solicitor and Founder of Law and Broader; a social media-based resource facilitating accessibility to the profession by providing support and guidance to aspiring lawyers. The platform has over 60,00 followers and has helped hundreds of students to secure training contracts and legal work experience across the globe. The business now extends to providing social media and brand building consultancy services to individuals and businesses within the legal sector.

Alongside the above, Chrissie regularly guest lectures and speaks at national and global events on topics including legal education, innovation and technology and social media marketing

Following a year of remarkable change to the landscape of legal practice, we have all been challenged, both personally and professionally, to operate successfully in “the new normal”. The role of professional development in adapting and thriving in an ever-changing environment cannot be underestimated and the committee’s aim is to educate and equip our members with the information and skills they need to succeed.

Birmingham is fortunate to be home to a vibrant array of diverse professionals who have a plethora of information and experience to share with you as members. The new committee is comprised of representatives from legal practice, education, technology, human resources, and business sectors from across the region who have come together to produce a variety of content covering all facets of legal practice. This is an exciting time for the collective members of our talent heavy Professional Development Committee, who will deliver an extraordinary added value proposition against a backdrop of business growth and opportunities across the city. Birmingham Law Society’s newly created professional engagement platform has been developed to further support the values of its members and future leaders.

The purpose behind our inclusive Professional Development Committee is to elevate the positive impact on employability, to develop strategic partnerships, raising sector excellence, as well as playing a strong role in bridging the gap between the next generation of talent and enriching the cultural leadership of the legal sector which will be synonymous with Birmingham Law Society’s learning and development objectives and industry succession mindset.

In pursuit of our objectives, we will be hosting a series of events throughout the year ranging from topics such as retaining talent in a postcovid landscape to the impacts of the new SQE route to qualification on recruitment and training.

Our events will be open to all members and non-members and will be advertised via email and our social media platforms. If you have any suggestions for events or topics that you would like the committee to consider, please feel free to email Chrissie Wolfe at lawandbroader@gmail.com

EVENTS & WEBINARS

26th August BLS and TAG Network Midlands Professional networking event 6:00pm - 8:00pm The Birmingham Contemporary Art Gallery 9th September Charity Golf Day 12:00pm - 8:00pm Olton Golf Club 15th September BLS Legal Tech Community Meet Ups: Collaboration using virtual tools 1:00pm-2:00pm Zoom 16th September President's Dinner 2021: SOLD OUT 6:45pm - 12:00am The Grand

23rd September Modern Slavery in a postBrecani World with Crown Court Recorder Douglas-Jones QC (St Ives Chambers) 5:30pm - 6:30pm Zoom 22nd September Football Tournament: SOLD OUT 4.00pm - 8.30pm Goal, Star City 24th September Legal Tech Hackathon 1:30pm-4:30pm Zoom 25th September Pride 11:00am-2:00pm 30th September AGM (In-person) 5:00pm - 7:00pm Squire Patton Boggs 13th October BLS Legal Tech Community Meet Ups 1:00pm-2:00pm Zoom 19th October BLS Quiz with BTSS and BSG 6:00pm - 9:00pm Revolucion De Cuba 21st October ESG Webinar with Landmark 1:00pm-2:00pm Zoom 2nd November Business Email Compromise - Webinar with Western Union 12:00pm - 1:00pm TBC 4th November Doing Yourself Justice in Court 10:00am-1:00pm No5 Chambers 4th November Doing Yourself Justice in Court 2:00pm-5:00pm No5 Chambers 12th November Lunch Club with Preet Kaur Gill MP 12:00pm-2:00pm Chung Ying Cantonese

To reserve your place and find out more visit www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk