After the summer break, autumn is looking very busy for the Female Counsel network!

Please note the dates below and pop in your diaries. In a recent survey, you asked for more in person events and so we have 5 in the pipeline!

With huge thanks in advance to our contributors Lewis Silkin, Danielle Giannecchini, Alys Sciannaca, Dr Nina Burrowes, Irwin Mitchell, Joanna Gosling, Jane Anderson, Smart Works Charity, Karishma Bothra (Navsaria), Suicide&Co, Vanessa Whitman and Fieldfisher.

If you would like to learn more about the Female Counsel network please get in touch with me norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

On Saturday 21 November Female Counsel are partnering with Smart Works Charity to offer an exclusive shopping experience for our network.

Every year Somerset House becomes London's most stylish and festive shopping destination. The Times x Smart Works Charity Fashion Sale brings together a curated collection of designer fashion, luxury brands, rare sample pieces and surplus stock all available at exceptional prices.

Female Counsel will soon be back after the summer break!I'm delighted to announce that Lewis Silkin have kindly offered to host our September coffee morning at their stunning London office. This will take place from 8.30-10.30am on Wednesday 16th September. Female Counsel coffee mornings are always special. They are a great way to meet with other members of the group – to make new connections, catch up with friends and just to be in a room full of inspirational and supportive women.If you would like to attend or find out more about the network please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

Our next Female Counsel session will take place at 9.30am on Wednesday 10 June. Our topic - 'Navigating office politics - without losing yourself'.

Office politics can feel murky, frustrating, or even beneath the kind of leader you want to be. But what if there was a way to use the political landscape as a tool for building trust, shaping outcomes, and leading without losing who you are? In this session, we’re joined by Tami Irokawa McGonigal, executive coach, leadership consultant, and former Magic Circle lawyer with 25+ years of global legal experience.

Known for her practical, holistic, and science-informed approach, Tami works with high-performing lawyers across the legal sector with particular expertise in supporting senior women in law.

I'm delighted to announce our next virtual Female Counsel session will take place at 9.30am on Tuesday 19th May. I will be joined by the wonderful Lloydette Bai-Marrow who will lead our discussion on 'Your Path to the Board'.As an experienced Board member across numerous organisations Lloydette will share her experiences and will discuss;✳️ What lawyers bring to the boardroom as non-executive directors;✳️ How to use your voice effectively once you are there;✳️ The practical steps to securing a board role (including how to leverage your legal expertise and existing experience to open up the right opportunities).Lloydette is such an inspirational woman and I'm delighted she will share her experiences with us during this very practical session. One not to be missed!If you would like to join the discussion please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

The next in the Female Counsel series of 'Conversations with Inspirational Women' is going to take place at 8.30am on Wednesday 20th May.I am delighted to announce our panel of inspirational women - Clea Bigelow-Nuttall, FCIArb, Claire Broadbelt and Annabel Thomas. During this in person event our speakers are going to share candid perspectives on what really drives career progression for women. The speakers will share practical insights on:Confidence vs competence – reframing “imposter syndrome” and exploring how confidence is built, perceived and rewarded.From relationships to results – building genuine connections and converting them into opportunities in an authentic way.What’s changed, and what hasn’t – a look at progress within the legal profession and the barriers that remain.My huge thanks to Greenberg Traurig London for hosting this event.If you are interested in attending this session please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

Our April Female Counsel session is taking place at 9.30am on Wednesday 22 April.This month our guest speaker is the wonderful Reena P. from Freshfields. Reena is going to lead our discussion on 'Living and Working with Disability'.Reena is an incredible advocate on this subject and I am delighted she can join us. She is a tireless campaigner and her personal posts on LinkedIn are a huge comfort to many people.In this session Reena will share her very personal story with us. She will talk about the difficulties of holding down a demanding job, being a carer for parents and children with needs, whilst looking after her own physical and mental wellbeing. If you would like to attend this virtual session please email norah@norahdurrantrecruitment.com

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.

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?