Setting a new legal precedent

You might think it would be easier to walk in pair of stout brogues than kitten heels, but not if the evidence from the Scottish legal community is anything to go by.

One of several factors behind the recent unprecedented migration from firm to firm at partner level is the growing number of women at the top of the legal profession, according to recruitment specialists, Search Consultancy.

Sarah McParland, Associate Director with Search, says, ìWomen often donít have the same status issues as men. They want flexibility in their careers and are willing to move to get more challenge or a better work / life balance.

ìOf course, itís not just women who are moving firms but I think the net effect of having a more diversified partner base is to break down the old ways of working and free up the whole profession to more lateral movement.

ìThe whole legal community is buzzing about the number of partner-level staff opting to move to a rival company, or even downsize. This is a relatively new phenomenon and is altering the whole traditional career structure of the profession.î

Ten years ago, the proportion of men to women entering the legal profession was around 60/40. Itís now the other way around, according to Sarah.

The average age at which high-flyers reach partnership has also come down, with partner appointments now commonplace for those in their mid-thirties, with a lot of career and life-changing opportunities still open to them. The effect of all this is to inject greater energy, but alongside this, greater movement.

ìIt seems that the traditional ways of the legal profession are being swept away with the tideî Sarah says. ìThe old school tie network is already pretty much gone, with firms becoming much more results driven.

ìAnd itís not just the gender balance which has changed. Legal students and trainees come from a diverse range of backgrounds and they expect to rise through the ranks on merit. Itís hardly surprising therefore that they are no longer merely willing to politely wait their turn in the partnership pecking order.

ìIf their current firm canít or wonít deliver the experience and challenge they need to move on to the next level, more and more senior staff are willing to take their chances and move on. And they have the relative youth and confidence to carry it off, even if that means taking a tactical step backwards, in order to gain a foothold in a new company.î

Sarah, who holds an LLB and Dip LP herself, says that all these factors have served to open up the legal profession to much wider influences than before. And, she argues, thatís no bad thing.

ìMany more legal professionals are taking on consultancy-type roles which no longer confine them to their desks. Partners can also often negotiate better deals for themselves to support interests and activities outside of work. Legal partnerships are having to recognise this to attract and retain the best people.

ìAll in all, this amount of flexibility and movement can only be a good thing as it provides much greater opportunity for the best people to rise to the top. It also allows those who want to broaden their marketability a greater chance than ever before to do so. This can only be to their, and their clientsí benefit in the long run.î

So, while a good lawyer could argue that more women reaching senior positions in legal firms has effected change for the better, the reality is that itís only one of the factors responsible for breaking down old barriers and taboos.

Like many industries before it, the legal profession has had to become more fleet of foot and reactive to meet the needs of a 21st century market. Those same market forces however are at work within the profession itself and greater movement at the very top levels looks set to become the legal norm.

Search has one of the largest specialist legal recruitment teams in Scotland, including Executive Selection specialist Nicola Coomber