27 April 2012 / Francesca Kaye

Issue: 7511 / Categories: Opinion , Profession

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Should it matter?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

The LSLA’s first female president Francesca Kaye considers the interest surrounding her appointment

In 2012 you would hope that the fact that the president of an association such as the London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA) was a woman was of little or no interest or consequence. The fact that it is reflects poorly on the state of equality and diversity in the world of litigation.

The LSLA elects its presidents on merit and judges them on their record over their two years in office. That is how it should be. The president’s gender is not (and should not be) a factor in the election process.

Women in the legal profession

There is a fair amount of soul-searching currently about the role and status of women in the legal profession. Last month, the Law Society and LexisNexis unveiled the results of a survey on Women in the Law for the Law Society’s International Women in Law Summit, held on International Women’s Day (see “Tackling female brain drain”). The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is currently consulting on appointments and diversity in the judiciary.

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Should it matter?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

The LSLA’s first female president Francesca Kaye considers the interest surrounding her appointment

In 2012 you would hope that the fact that the president of an association such as the London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA) was a woman was of little or no interest or consequence. The fact that it is reflects poorly on the state of equality and diversity in the world of litigation.

The LSLA elects its presidents on merit and judges them on their record over their two years in office. That is how it should be. The president’s gender is not (and should not be) a factor in the election process.

Women in the legal profession

There is a fair amount of soul-searching currently about the role and status of women in the legal profession. Last month, the Law Society and LexisNexis unveiled the results of a survey on Women in the Law for the Law Society’s International Women in Law Summit, held on International Women’s Day (see “Tackling female brain drain”). The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is currently consulting on appointments and diversity in the judiciary.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content

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...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

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