Gender, Choice and Commitment
Women Solicitors in England and Wales and the Struggle for Equal Status
Hilary Sommerlad author Peter Sanderson author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Published:23rd Dec '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This insightful book examines the challenges women face in the solicitors' profession in the UK, detailing historical and contemporary barriers. Gender, Choice and Commitment is essential reading.
Originally published in 1998, Gender, Choice and Commitment is a comprehensive exploration of women's experiences within the solicitors' profession in the UK. This volume combines historical research with contemporary studies, offering a unique perspective on the challenges women have faced and continue to face in this field. The authors delve into both personal narratives and the broader cultural context, providing a thorough analysis of the barriers that have historically hindered women's entry and advancement in the legal profession.
The book begins by addressing the formal exclusionary practices that limited women's access to the profession. It then transitions to a discussion of the informal obstacles that emerged as women began to gain entry, including societal expectations and workplace cultures that continue to impact their career trajectories. By examining these dynamics, Gender, Choice and Commitment highlights the ongoing struggles women encounter in their professional lives and the ways in which these challenges have evolved over time.
Drawing on insights from feminist jurisprudence and sociology, the authors illuminate the systemic issues that perpetuate gender inequality in the legal profession. This work not only documents the historical context but also emphasizes the importance of understanding these experiences in shaping current discussions about gender and employment in law. Ultimately, Gender, Choice and Commitment serves as a crucial resource for anyone interested in the intersection of gender and professional development in the legal field.
Review for the reissue:
"When it first appeared in 1998, Gender, Choice and Commitment offered a groundbreaking analysis of the reasons why and the mechanisms by which women remained marginalised in the solicitors’ profession. Twenty-five years later, although women now make up the majority of solicitors in England and Wales, and law graduates from racialised and working class backgrounds have entered the profession in increasing numbers, similar mechanisms of class, race and gender exclusion continue to operate. The reissue of the book provides a timely reminder of the deep structures of social hierarchy in the legal profession, which may be reconfigured in the face of economic and social change but nevertheless persist. And it once more alerts us to the discursive justifications which locate the uneven distribution of professional career opportunities and rewards in individual ‘deficits’ of aspiration and application rather than in the professional field itself."
Professor Rosemary Hunter KC (Hon), FAcSS, Kent Law School, UK
Reviews for the original publication:
’If the status of woman solicitors is to be improved, the profession must not shirk from recognising how difficult the task is and how radical reforms must be. Anyone who is serious about taking on such a task must read this book if they are to have a clear picture of the experiences of women solicitors...’ - Law Society Gazette
'...a tour de force, seemingly weaving economic theory, feminist theory, the sociology of professions, others’ findings, and their own data into a powerful argument powerfully presented...it is the most comprehensive, persuasive, and important contribution to the expanding literature on woman and the legal profession that I have read...anyone...who has not read this book has not done their homework.’ - Journal of Law and Society
’...thorough, detailed and persuasive...makes an important contribution to our understanding of some of the constraints facing women developing careers as solicitors in large, commercially orientated, law firms.’ - Work, Employment and Society
’...a sophisticated analysis that advances our understanding of women’s career patterns and the legal profession itself in important ways...an important contribution to understanding the gendered nature of the legal profession, women’s entry into the professions as a whole, and the persistence of women’s subordination more generally.’ - Law and Politics Book Review
ISBN: 9781138385061
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 670g
360 pages