Two of the most senior women in law have opened up about their journey into the law to highlight the importance of social mobility in the profession. More than 200 people listened to an hour-long conversation between treasury solicitor Susanna McGibbon and Law Society president Lubna Shuja as they discussed their careers.
Bradford-born Shuja ‘fell into the law’. After doing better than expected in her exams, Shuja got a university place through clearing. She studied law at the Polytechnic of Central London. A local authority grant helped with university fees and maintenance. ‘Had it not been for that grant, I have absolutely no doubt I would not be where I am today,’ she said.
Shuja, who became the first Asian and first Muslim president of the Law Society last October, recalled working at a firm where she was the only Asian person. ‘When I started working there, they started to get more clients from Asian backgrounds. I can speak Urdu and Punjabi. They could communicate to me in their own language, they knew I understood their culture, their religion, that I could understand how and why they might have got themselves into the situation they got themselves into [because of] cultural influence.’
The event heard that neither of McGibbon’s parents went to university. When McGibbon, who hails from Bolton and studied at Sheffield University, first arrived in London, she was surprised to be surrounded by privately-educated Oxbridge graduates. McGibbon recalled having to attend 12 dinners at Lincoln’s Inn to qualify as a barrister ‘and feeling pretty out of my depth and keeping an eye on what the different bits of cutlery are for’.
The treasury solicitor, the most senior civil servant lawyer in government who leads an organisation of around 3,000 people, stressed the importance of data for diversity progress. ‘It’s difficult to get that data on social mobility and backgrounds. Thinking about 30 years ago, would I have put my hand up in a room full of people to say I was the first person to go to university in my family?’
McGibbon said diversity monitoring forms are ‘really useful in helping me to identify areas where there may still be issues with wider recruitment processes, promotion processes.’
On overcoming imposter syndrome, Shuja said: ‘Imposter syndrome is a lack of confidence. It doesn’t just affect juniors. It affects everyone across the profession. I have learnt during my time as a solicitor for over 30 years, there are a lot of people who are making it up as they go along.’
However, preparation is key, she added. ‘Go into that meeting and be clear about what you want to achieve, what you want to talk about. If you know your stuff, you do not need to worry about imposter syndrome.’
