Our next Female Counsel coffee morning will take place on Thursday 26th March.I am delighted to announce that Bristows will host this event at their London office - 100 Victoria Embankment.Networking events are not easy but there is something very special about our Female Counsel get togethers. A room full of women who are there to support and elevate one another. If you are interested in attending please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com to book your place.

Our next Female Counsel session will take place at 9.30am on Thursday 19th March.

Senior lawyers are often highly respected within their organisations, yet their external visibility does not always reflect the depth of their expertise.

This session explores how to intentionally shape and strengthen your personal brand through external communication and thought leadership, whether on conference panels, at industry events, or national media.

We will cover how to identify what you want to be known for, how to become a genuinely useful and credible contributor, how to overcome common barriers to visibility, how to generate relevant and compelling content, and how to perform confidently and authentically in the moment.

The session is practical, strategic and focused on helping participants translate their expertise into influence.

The session will be run by Abi Donald, head coach at Vox, a communications coaching company based in London.

Having advised global CEOs, professional services partners and leadership teams on high-stakes communications for over a decade, and previously serving as a senior editor at Reuters, ITN and ITV News, Abi brings first-hand insight into how reputations are built, and how authoritative voices are recognised.

If you would like to join this virtual session or to hear more about our wonderful Female Counsel network please email me norah@norahdurrantrecruitment

2026 promises to be an exciting year for our community and to kickstart it I am delighted to welcome back the wonderful Nicola Green Assoc CIPD who is going to lead our first session of the year. It will be a virtual session and will take place at 9.30am on Thursday 22nd January.

Our next Female Counsel coffee morning will take place at 8.30am on 3 December. Please save the date!Huge thanks to Mayer Brown for hosting this event.If you would like to hear more about the Female Counsel network please email me norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

Do you sometimes feel like an 'Imposter' in the workplace? On the school run? Life in general?

In this session, Claire will help us to develop awareness of our inner critic, explore where that might come from and suggest techniques which will help empower us to greater self-confidence.

Claire is an integrative psychotherapist and registered member of the BACP, working in private practice. She is the director and founder of CW Wellbeing, which works with organisations to improve mental health, confidence and communication in the workplace. The next Female Counsel virtual session will take place at 9.30am on Thursday 16th October. We will be joined by Claire Wigington (MBACP) who will lead our discussion on ‘Working With Your Inner Critic.’ If you would like to join our discussion please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

Our next Female Counsel session will be a virtual one and will take place at 9.30am on 2 October.

We will be joined by Heather Butler, Sarah Jane Cork and Charlotte Hopkins. They will lead our discussion on...

‘How we can work together to create a safer city for everyone.’

We all want to ensure that we work and live in as safe a city as possible.

Heather and Sarah are ambassadors of Our Safer City which is an incredible organisation. Their mission is to help prevent violence against women and girls, forming alliances with relevant public and private companies in the City of London to create a framework which can ultimately be adopted nationally.

Topics we’ll cover in the session:

💡 Introduction to Our Safer City – background, vision, and current initiatives

💡 Services and support available – what’s on offer and how these may be relevant to you, your clients, and your community

💡 Insights from the Steering Group – perspectives from professionals in the field and survivors of abuse on how individuals and organisations can make a difference

💡 The legal perspective – how professionals can drive positive change in the workplace and beyond

If you would like to join this session please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com to secure your space.

I speak to women every week who’ve done everything “right”.
They’ve delivered. They’ve hit targets. They’ve ticked every box.

Confidence starts in the mirror. Let’s talk about it. An intimate evening with the brilliant stylist Maggie Killick at Jigsaw.

This is about more than clothes though, it’s about confidence.

How you show up matters.

And when you feel like yourself, when you feel good, you lead differently, speak differently.

Join us on 17 July at 9.30am for our next Female Counsel session; a space to connect, grow, and learn alongside other women in law.

This month, we're thrilled to welcome Mastane Williamson from Pinsent Masons as our guest speaker. Mastane will be exploring:

‘Harnessing AI: how to use AI for efficiency and empowerment’

AI is reshaping the legal landscape, but how do we stay ahead of the curve without losing our human edge? This session will offer practical insights and space for honest conversation.

Bring your questions. Bring your coffee. We’ll see you there.

On Thursday 4th September, Female Counsel will host the first in a new series of events and it’s one I’m truly excited about!

🌟 This will be the launch of 'Conversations with Inspirational Women'

🌟 We will be joined by a phenomenal panel of women who are managing partners at their respective firms;

🔹 Emily Monastiriotis at Simmons & Simmons

🔹 Kathleen Harris at Arnold & Porter

🔹 Jo Farmer at Lewis Silkin

All three have carved out incredible careers with real impact.

And I’m thrilled we’ll get to hear from them directly, not just about what they do, but on their journeys to where they are now.

Thank you to Simmons & Simmons for hosting this event.So please put the date in your diaries. 8.30am - 10.30am 4 September.

Come along. Be inspired. If you would like to attend this event please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

SAVE THE DATE!

I am so excited to announce a very special Female Counsel event which will take place on 4th September at 8.30am.

This IN PERSON event will mark the start of a new series of 'Conversations with Inspirational Women'. We are surrounded by incredible women who are really making a mark in the legal world and beyond and I am thrilled to run this series, spend time with these women and showcase how inspirational they are.

So please do put this date in your diaries...further details will follow shortly!

I am so pleased to announce that we have two guest speakers to lead our discussion - Keeley Lengthorn, partner at RWK Goodman, National Baby Loss Campaigner and founder of George's Law and Emma Menzies, Fertility at Work Coach.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion stands at the crossroads of history. It appears that its very essence is being attacked at present. We can see what is happening in the US – but what does that mean for us in the UK?

‘No’ is a tiny word but why do some of us really struggle to say it? 

Three years ago, I was fed up with seeing talented women in law struggle to progress, often feeling isolated and undervalued in their roles.

Career progression in law can be demanding, and for many women, the traditional path to partnership can feel rigid and unforgiving. 

But what if there was another way?

Our next Female Counsel virtual event will take place at 9.30am on 27th February. This month we are spoilt with three guest speakers! Susan Attwood, Emma E. Smith and Manal Tabbara are going to lead our discussion on 'Insights into Different Careers in Law'.

Please join us at 9.30am on 6 March when the wonderful Rachel Spink, employment lawyer at gunnercooke and founder of the Female Lawyers’ Club will be in conversation with two more female founders – the incredible Sarah Goulbourne co-founder of gunnercooke and all round champion of female talent and me! (For once I’m the guest speaker!)

I am incredibly proud (and very surprised!) to share that I have been shortlisted for the Women and Diversity in Law Awards! What an honour! It has led me to reflect about how far I’ve come over the years, as a one-woman band on a mission to get more women into senior positions in law firms. I've not done it completely alone. With a 600+ strong community of Female Counsel members behind me, it's spurred my commitment to driving meaningful change and I couldn't have done it without their encouragement and support.