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Today (8 March) is International Women’s Day 2023 (#IWD23) and today we are celebrating how fortunate we are to have a large team of talented and inspirational women.
As a law firm, we know how important it is to ensure that women working in the legal sector are given the opportunities and support they deserve, and their talent is recognised.
Supporting women in the legal sector
For IWD this year, we have been speaking to some of the wonderful women across our business about their experience working in law, and in this blog, we turn our attention to our paralegal team.
Our paralegal team play a key role in our firm, supporting our expert personal injury and medical negligence solicitors, helping our clients and ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Novum Law paralegals enjoy an extremely varied role from preparing legal documents, undertaking research, interviewing clients and witnesses, going to court when needed and handling their own client caseloads.
Some of our paralegals are new to the legal sector and will go on to train as lawyers; others have previously worked as legal secretaries, bringing their vast knowledge and expertise to their paralegal role to support our lawyers and clients alike.
Experience as a female paralegal
We spoke to Paralegal Amie Worth from our Plymouth team, who has over 16 years of legal experience, and supports personal injury solicitor Rebecca Brisley, and specialist women’s health and medical negligence solicitor Hannah Carr.
We asked her about her experiences as a woman in the legal sector:
How did you get into law?
I started working as an office junior in a law firm at the age of 20. Since then, I have worked in various legal areas including conveyancing, wills and probate and employment.
I met Rebecca Brisley while working as a secretary at a previous firm in the medical negligence department. She approached me with an opportunity to progress my career, I became her paralegal in 2019 and the rest is history!
In my previous firm, I worked in a department specialising in women’s health claims. This is something I have carried forward to my present role with specialist solicitor and Novum Law Director Hannah Carr.
What do you enjoy in your paralegal role at Novum Law?
I have very good working relationship with both Hannah and Rebecca, and I enjoy being part of an all-female team. We all have families and understand what it is like balancing the pressures of home life and work, and the importance of getting a balance that works for you and your family.
Do you feel that you’ve faced any barriers as a woman in the legal sector?
I am surrounded by strong female role models in the workplace, and as a result I do not feel I have faced any barriers as a woman in the legal sector.
It has been gratifying to have my potential recognised by another woman in law. When I first took on my paralegal role, I was worried about working full time and the impact that would have on my family, but Rebecca gave me the courage to go for it!
What advice would you give to women who want to start a career in law?
Find that person who inspires you, encourages you to work hard and gives you opportunities to progress, regardless of your gender.
What is the best part of your job and the people you work with?
The greatest part of my job is working with a strong team of women that all support each other and want the best for each other.
Novum Law is always on the lookout for talented women to join our team. To find more information about current vacancies, visit our Join Us page – we would love to hear from you!
