Women Leaders in Law Summit in Lisbon

of female lawyers feel that their expertise is diminished due to their gender, with one-third believing this occurs frequently or very frequently.

Have you ever asked yourself what it is like in your country?

Sexual harassment remains a sensitive and painful issue, often manifesting not only as physical aggression but also in subtle forms such as patronising remarks and chauvinistic jokes. While 15% of respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment at work, I must acknowledge that 85% have not faced such violations.

Our duty as leaders in the legal profession is to set high standards, unequivocally oppose inappropriate behavior, and build trust within our legal community.

I firmly believe that until we stand up in the truth and say out loud what problems women lawyers have, in my opinion, not only in Poland, but in Europe in general, or in the world, we will not be able to build a healthy, stable and respectable legal industry. Therefore, before I talk about the future, I wanted to say out loud how it is and what we women have to face.

So what should the future be? Should be bright, of course. But how to get there?

I am a big supporter and even fan of mentoring. The Women in Law Foundation is currently in its fourth edition of a mentoring programme aimed at young female lawyers. The mentors are experienced female lawyers and experienced lawyers. Over the past four years, almost 200 young female lawyers have already benefited from the programme and we have trained a total of 350 mentees and mentors.

The mentoring programme has also become a platform for building relationships, sharing experiences and making friends in the legal industry.

In my opinion, this is how we should approach building and developing the legal industry in Europe and fostering empathetic leadership, which is still lacking in law firms or in-house legal departments.

Mentorship should be systematic and widely accessible. It is our responsibility to keep pushing for change and advocating for a brighter future for women in the legal profession. We must be leaders of change, setting the example for the entire legal community. In my opinion, it is mentoring that is a great tool to change and empower women lawyers.

In closing, I want to leave you with this message: The future for women leaders in law is indeed bright. By addressing the challenges headon, we can shape a profession where competence and dedication, not gender, determine success. Together, we can make a difference and pave the way for a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable legal profession in the whole Europe.

Perhaps the answer to the question of what the future of women lawyers in Europe should be is to create a space for mentoring at European level.” ■

Kamila Kurkowska President and Founder of Women in Law Foundation (Poland)

Mentor of women lawyers

Women in Law - fundacja integrujaca srodowisko prawnicze