Prof Mariam Al Maadeed giving her speech.
DOHA: Qatar University College of Law (QU-LAWC) hosted on March 22 the Women in Law Conference 2018 aimed to provide career guidance and professional development growth to female law students, law faculty, attorneys, legal counselors, judges, prosecutors, alumni, and other female legal professionals at all stages of their careers.
The event was designed to bring together powerful female decision makers so that female law students could find mentors, meet role models and the community of professional women in law can grow, flourish and serve as an example for the region.
The conference is a result of NPRP9-341-5-047 “Legal Education & the Skills Market in Qatar”, in pursuit of its objective to “explore the legal landscape for young female legal professionals in Qatar and provide a comprehensive summary of any career considerations specific to them”.
It brought together prominent judges, prosecutors and women working in the courts to talk about their careers and share the challenges they face and the steps they are taking to increase the number of women in courtrooms.
Keynote speaker Asma AlHamadi, TV Presenter at AlJazeera Media Network, gave a speech on “A Conversation about Women in Leadership”. The event featured the screening of a short film titled “Women in Law” directed by Rawda Al Thani.
Speakers were from QU, Al Jazeera Media Network, Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), Clyde & Co., Ghada M. Darwish Law Firm, Ministry of Interior, Office of the Attorney General, Pinsent Masons, Qatar Foundation for Protection and Social Rehabilitation, Qatar Museums, Qatar Financial Authority, Qatar Tourism Authority, QICDRC, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Squire Patton Boggs, and Supreme Judicial Council.
Discussions focused on the tools used to train young female Qatari lawyers and what actions have yielded the most impact, identifying and overcoming gender bias, driving satisfaction in the practice of law, overcoming negative bias from opposing counsel or colleagues, reducing career risk as a result of negative bias, female vs male perceptions of power and success, how to embrace your personal vision of your best life without apology or hesitation, climbing the corporate ladder, and creating flexibility in your job. Dr Melissa Deehring presented her working paper on diversity, current statistics of women in Qatar’s legal profession and strategies for encouraging more women in Qatar to enter the practice of law.
Prof Mariam Al Maadeed said: “Over the past years, QU has strengthened links with society and has been keen to align the educational and learning process with research, creating many colleges, research centers and academic to develop the students’ skills and their abilities, and to enable researchers to meet the socio-economic needs of the Qatari society.”
Dr Melissa Deehring said: “Gender diversity in the legal profession is a key initiative of most western legal education and law societies. Here in Qatar, we are just beginning to have this conversation. While Qatar’s diversity in the profession is progressing at lightning speed in comparison to the west, we, as a community of smart educated women, need to encourage our legal educational providers and the profession itself to do better.”
