Female equity partners are under-represented. Women lawyers are less likely to receive promotions but are more likely to be interrupted in the workplace. A gender pay gap still exists. These and other issues women continue to face in the legal profession are the focus of Queen’s Women and the Law (QWL). 

“Students should get involved with QWL not only to be a part of a welcoming space in law school, but also to advocate on behalf of women in the law,” says Maitland Shaheen, Law’22, QWL Co-President. “In a field that’s in many ways male-dominated and traditional, we all benefit when women, people of colour, and the LGBTQIA+ community – who have all been excluded from the law – are provided spaces to safely voice their concerns. Only then can we make significant, lasting change in the legal field.”

The long-running student club, which started in 1981, is offering some new programs and activities in this challenging COVID world. “We’re very excited to be starting a peer mentorship program for upper-year students to provide guidance, advice, and support to first-year students throughout the year,” says Blaire Smockum, Law’22, QWL Co-President. “For many first-year students, exams are very difficult. Given that this year’s class is doing everything at a distance and may not have the same support network that we had in 1L last year (because we were able to make new connections in person and hang out with our friends), we thought it might be really helpful to set up first-years with upper-years to help with the law school transition process.”

QWL is also expanding into wellness. Before the exam period, the club will be hosting a yoga class and a mindfulness session via Zoom. “We’re looking to give people the time to dedicate to self-care and to check in on their mental health,” says Smockum. “At the end of a session, we’ll share experiences and create connections.”

Regular events such as hosting guest speakers and career panels are also being planned and the popular “Law is feminism because…” campaign is returning in the winter term. “It’s a national campaign with a number of schools participating to draw attention to issue of gender discrimination both in the legal field and in the application of the law,” explains Shaheen. “Students and professors are asked to complete the sentence “Law needs feminism because…” and their answers are displayed above their portraits. We’re really excited to continue that campaign and keep that conversation going.”

This winter’s campaign may well be virtual and QWL is aiming to turn it into a philanthropic initiative that would see people respond and donate a few dollars for a charity. Last year about 100 people participated. “One thing that really struck me was that it wasn’t just female students who came out,” says Smockum. “We also had a great turnout from profs and male students.” 

QWL and its events are open to all students, not just those who identify as females. “Women’s issues affect everyone, and it takes everyone to fully address them in order to be successful in the fight for equality,” explains Smockum. “We want to reach out to as many students as possible and educate them on these issues. At the end of the day, if only half the population (i.e. women) work to combat these issues, we’re not going to succeed. It requires that everyone recognize the issues and demonstrate a commitment to combating them.”

Smockum herself joined QWL for that very reason, having witnessed a situation while working in a law firm before entering law school. One day, a female lawyer she was working for invited her to attend a mediation, which would have been an amazing opportunity. “But my boss was the only female in the room of seven lawyers and it was difficult for her to get a word in because the men were constantly talking over her,” Smockum recalls. “Then, all of a sudden, the men began to attack each other. It was clear to me that this was no longer relating to the matter at hand; it was more that these guys didn’t like each other and decided to take the opportunity to attack one another. The entire time, the female lawyer remained calm, poised, and quiet. I kept imagining situation reversed with women acting this way, but women don't get to act that way because they’d be called ‘emotional’ or ‘catty.’ There seemed to be different expectations and assumptions regarding female lawyers, and as a result, they have to work much harder to receive the same level of respect as their male counterparts and to prove that they should be taken seriously. I became passionate about advocating for women in the legal field and the opportunity to get involved in QWL was very appealing because it would allow me to engage in discussions with my peers about issues that women face in the law.” 

On QWL’s 15-member executive team are two Equity Co-Chairs: Dakota Bundy, Law’22, and Sarah Mohiuddin, Law’23. 

“As members of equity seeking groups, we are both very familiar with the additional challenges that certain groups of women face in their everyday lives and in the legal field,” says Bundy. “One of our goals is to ensure that all QWL initiatives are inclusive and welcoming to the entire Queen’s Law community, especially women of colour and women who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

“We can all contribute to this important work by making a genuine effort to educate ourselves and confront our biases as they present themselves,” explains Mohiuddin. “Part of this process is recognizing that we’re all learning and embracing the discomfort that comes with addressing the systemic inequities that persist in our institutions and everyday lives. To support the work of groups like QWL, students should try to come out to events and engage with our programming!”

“It’s a really great place to learn about the intersections of gender and the law,” adds Shaheen. “We encourage everyone to get involved in as many ways as you can.”  

Check out how on the Queen’s Women and the Law Facebook page!

By Lisa Graham