"Girlfriends of the Court"

Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

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Don’t Call Me Girl. I’m a Woman.

In Career, Guest Post, media, TV, twitter, Uncategorized, women on August 1, 2012 at 10:20 am

Is this how we wish to represent women athletes? (image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Twitter has been abuzz since the start of the Olympic coverage, with the observation of Australian commentators’ use of ‘girl/s’ to describe women competitors.  The complaint that women have about this language is its capacity to diminish women’s athletic achievement and infantilise them.  Many disagree with this interpretation, pointing out that our male athletes are also called ‘boys’ or ‘lads’.  So why do many women feel so strongly about being called ‘girls’ in this context?

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Do Clothes Make the (Wo)Man?

In Career, fashion, Guest Post, legal education, shoes, women on April 29, 2012 at 10:32 am
fashion, law, blog

Are we just reproducing the dominant paradigm?     *Mattel

The Culture of Professional Dressing 

There’s been a lot of talk on this blog here and here amongst others, of women’s (and some men’s) experiences as legal practitioners, in terms of what to wear.  We could ask why these posts are so popular with readers.  Is it because women love clothes?  (I mean – you know what women are like, right?)  Perhaps.  However I have another theory.

It’s about culture – in particular, the dominant culture of the law. Read on. Read the rest of this entry »

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New Kid on the Block

In Career, Education, Guest Post, higher education, legal education on December 16, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Early Career researchers, legal education

Early career academics - are they the pop stars of legal academia? *

Reflections of a NKOTB: my first two months as a legal academic

After ten years of study, five years of practice (including private practice and homelessness lawyering), two undergraduate degrees, three postgraduate qualifications, two children, hundreds of clients and thousands (millions?) of pages of legal documents, I came to the conclusion that I don’t want to be a lawyer. For now.

It wasn’t that I was burnt out, mistreated or jaded; I just don’t have the passion for casework at this stage of my career. But I loved the research and advocacy part of my role managing Victoria’s Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic, and the impact the law can have on society.

And so, after searching my soul, I joined the academe. Read on… Read the rest of this entry »

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Respect Ma Authoritah!

In Advocacy, Family Court, Guest Post, Judiciary on December 15, 2011 at 11:07 pm

Margaret Battye (WA) wore her wig well.

The question of what lawyers wear is in the news again since the Family Court of Australia has announced  that judges have new robes, it will dispense with wigs, and there is a new dress code for lawyers appearing before it.  The Family Court changes caused me to think again about the reason behind court dress – and others too, as evidenced by an animated discussion on Twitter following the Court’s announcement.

read on… Read the rest of this entry »

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