Pacing Your Career
Strategies for re-organising, re-charging, and re-entering legal careers
Not all careers in the legal profession run according to a set plan: many lawyers need or want a break in their career, some may be looking for different ways of working, and others will seek new directions and challenges. For many, the lack of a clear way of pacing their career remains one of the toughest hurdles in their professional lives.
As part of International Women's Day, Oxford Women in Law hosted a panel discussion that explored the challenge of pacing your career. The panel's chair Professor Judith Freedman was joined by
- Kathleen Russ, Senior Partner at Travers Smith
- Helen Mountfield QC, Principal of Mansfield College and barrister at Matrix Chambers
- Helen Brown and Julia Hemmings, Partners at Baker McKenzie
- Stephanie Dillon from Reignite Academy
The panel shared their varied experiences of pacing their careers and discussed strategies such as managing a successful return to the workforce and developing support networks, as well as policies, including job shares and flexible working commitments, which employers can implement to shape a supportive work environment.
We are grateful to Travers Smith for kindly hosting the event.