Look Up and Beyond: Deeds not words
The launch of our Look Up and Beyond website and rebrand marks the beginning of Phase 2 of the project. We are moving from conversation to action. Using the motto and colours of the suffragettes, our emphasis hereon will be on deeds not words.
How Look Up and Beyond began …
In June 2023, I wrote a personal and reflective article about my journey into law and my lived experience once there. The article resonated with many in the profession: men, women, juniors, and seniors alike. It led to a small group of us coming together and starting what can now be more properly described as a movement.
It began with us all nodding our heads in agreement, sighing at how little things had changed, and gasping at what the data was telling us.
Increasingly, women in the legal profession are questioning their career choices.
With over 67% of those aged 30 years and under in the legal profession in Scotland being women, the realisation that female talent retention may be the single biggest issue facing the profession today is sobering.
In recent years it’s been described as the ‘great break up’, with women falling out of love with a profession that was hard fought for by pioneers such a Madge Easton Anderson, whilst others refer to it as the ‘Flexidus’, women leaving roles or passing over promotion due to a lack of flexibility with an ever-increasing need for a better work-life balance.
The barriers to the retention and advancement of female talent are multiple and complex, and sustainable solutions seem like wishful thinking for many who are on the precipice. Something will have to change.
A snapshot of our latest event in collaboration with Glasgow Girls Collective
It’s time for a profession-wide redesign
Individual mindsets and workplace cultures will inevitably need to be redesigned to meet the demands of today and the future. Some, with the benefit of an inclusive vision and a practical approach to succession planning, are already doing this. However, many do not; instead, they choose to leave it to chance. It’s dangerous gambling and not one I would advocate.
The reality we must face is that what Madge made work in 1920, women are either unable to or unwilling to do today. They do not have to. They have other options and are increasingly opting to exercise those.
In contrast, there remain fundamental, deeper societal issues, which are unfairly being brought to the doors of HR managers to deal with, such as gender imbalance within our homes. Those need to be tackled more widely, both in society and the profession.
Furthermore, outdated KPIs and workplace structures, which have not kept pace with the increasing number of women entering the profession, are leading to stress, burnout, and loneliness.
All of these challenges amount to a perfect storm that we as a profession are ill-prepared for.
What can Look Up and Beyond do?
Look Up and Beyond has the advantage of being both independent and experienced. What we propose is building a bridge between those workplaces that need our help and those individuals who are seeking it. Over the last 2 years, since the project was launched, we have taken the time to listen and observe. We have reached out to the profession, and you have reached back.
Overwhelmingly, you tell us that you need a safe place to share concerns and learn about how to address them. You want a community that does not judge. You wish to remove the fear of retribution. You have asked for practical solutions and a forum through which you can be anonymously heard. You have told us that talking is good, but action is needed.
Our goals are simple:
We will bring together those working in the legal sector to better support women in the workplace
We will carry out research to better understand what factors are limiting women’s progression and causing loss of female talent
We will explore why, at senior leadership level, we are not more gender diverse
We will study the structural and organisational obstacles that impede the retention and advancement of women in the profession
We will assist organisations to explore, identify and implement solutions to remove these obstacles
To mark the launch of our website and in celebration of the theme' deeds not words’, we are pleased to announce our new online and in-person initiative, coming soon: The Look Up and Beyond Community — a safe space for you to share your concerns and find solutions. Further details to follow.
How can you support Look Up and Beyond
We can’t do this alone — there is nothing inclusive about that. There are two main ways you can support our work and get involved:
Become a Sponsor
The reality is we need resources, not only to get this project off the ground but to sustain it going forward. Your membership will support the website, the community we are seeking to build, and provide vital funds to carry out the research we are looking to do. There are membership options available for all sizes of firms.
Share with us
For individuals and those not able to support us financially, we need your support by:
Sharing your experiences and ideas, helping us to make sure our services are meeting the needs of women and firms throughout the profession
Using our services, such as the Community Hub
Spreading the word about our organisation and the work we are doing, especially to the firms you work for who may be in a position to become a financial sponsor.
Attend our events, and share them with your network
In the meantime, explore our new website, check up regularly for news, events and articles, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date with our research and events.