Crisis: Women in Law as Parents

The pressures of law firm practice can be gruelling, but there is an additional burden notably felt by women returning to the workplace after having children. This burden manifests as an emotional toll, characterised by feelings of guilt and inadequacy for not living up to the ideal of motherhood.  Social scientists have termed this phenomenon “emotional shift work”, a desire to “be there” for one’s children, which invariably conflicts with the demands of a professional career. Within the context of law firm practice these demands are driven by the dual expectations of law firm billing targets driving compensation and promotion prospects on the one hand, and a self-imposed strong work ethic deeply ingrained within the DNA of most City lawyers on the other.

Therefore, I was deeply saddened when I read of the tragic news of the young female partner at Pinsent Masons in the article below. In the period prior to her death she is reported to have worked 18-hour days and sacrificed holidays leading up to the closure of a significant deal. While the punishing work hours undoubtedly took a toll on her physical and mental well-being, the most poignant and heartbreaking piece of the report is an observation made by her husband that she was “wracked with guilt over missing time with her two children.”