Gordon Brown has today announced that firms that snub women will be named and shamed. What is that all about? Do such places really exist? The PM says it is completely unacceptable that many top firms still don’t have women in senior positions. Absolutely right Gordon! You’re spot on there! He obviously has never been to our offices here at Ralli I think it is safe to say that the women far outnumber the men!
I have spent the last 20 or so years of my life working for law firms.
I recall going for the interview at the first law firm I ever worked at my youngest child was only a year old and I had applied for a part time secretarial position, I needed hours that would fit in with 2 young children and I started working in the evening. As my husband came home, I would go out of the door seamless! My eldest child is now 24 and the other day we were talking about when I started work again. She genuinely did not remember me going out to work in the evening. As the children grew up I gradually worked longer hours and started working in more senior positions.
I joined Ralli in 1995 as an assistant in the business litigation department. Apart from a year or so when I left and came back (I left, had a couple of other jobs but never really settled down until I came back here!) I worked in various departments until in 2003 there was an opportunity for me to apply to become the head of PR & Marketing. I was actively encouraged by the partners at Ralli and was successful.
So, the story here at least, is that we do have a lot of women here, many of which are in senior positions, we have several women partners and associates and certainly, being a woman at Ralli is not about to hold anyone back!
