Celebrating International Women’s Day - UCC Women in Law Forum 2023
Orla Leahy (Irish Editor)
The UCC Women in Law Forum 2023 is set to take place in the Hayfield Manor Hotel on the 8th of March. The Forum, a biennial event spearheaded by the UCC Law Society, is a celebration of the success and versatility of women within the legal sphere.
This year’s Forum will see two diverse panels of inspiring women take to the floor to share their stories, their wisdom, and their perspectives on womens’ careers in law, both traditionally through Blackhall or King’s Inns, and beyond. There will also be an engaging and informative careers Q&A panel, business and social networking, refreshments, and goodie bags for early birds! Following the morning panels and networking opportunities, the soirée promises to be a night to remember, offering attendees live music and entertainment, canapés, social networking, and the charity raffle, with awards for the best dressed individuals. The entire event is designed to be completely inclusive, with attendance by all welcome, including non-law students, lecturers, and alumni.
Jade Shannon, second year Law and Irish student, is the Women in Law Convenor for the 93rd session of the UCC Law Society. After months of comprehensive planning and preparations, she is looking forward to welcoming the esteemed panel of guests to UCC. Amongst the lineup for the morning panels are; bilingual Court of Appeal judge, the Hon. Ms. Justice Ní Raifeartaigh; PhD student (researching Irish media and political commentary response to COVID-19) Catherine Gallagher; founder of the Foundation for Law and International Affairs and director of the BCL (Law and Irish) in UCC, Dr. Shaoming Zhu, and; lead partner in the child care department of Comyn Kelleher Tobin, Denise Kirwan, with the final guests yet to be announced. The panels will be moderated by three of the UCC School of Law’s renowned lecturers, also yet to be revealed.
Jade says, “I am so delighted and honoured to be Convenor of this year’s Forum. I am really excited to invite everyone to an entire day of exploring and celebrating such important themes, ‘Equity Through Activism’ and ‘Innovation and Outreach’. The subcommittee and I are so looking forward to seeing ye all there!”
Tickets to the Forum can be purchased online via Eventbrite, either a Day Ticket, or Evening Soirée Ticket for €5, or a Full Day Ticket for €8.
Jade is supported by a subcommittee of 14 young women in law, and here’s what some of them have to say about the Forum.
Lucy Coleman (Sponsorship Officer):
“It has been amazing working with all the girls and getting to know people in older years. I can’t wait to see all our hard work pay off. It has been such a pleasure.”
Eva Given (General Coordinator):
“I feel incredibly honoured to be involved in the Forum and so grateful for the opportunity to work with such an accomplished group of women. The day will be one to remember and I hope you are as excited as we are!”
Ruth McDonald (Finance Officer):
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to help put together such an important event celebrating the achievements of women throughout the legal sphere! It has been lovely having the chance to work with such a motivated team.”
Rosa Simmonds (Sponsorship Officer):
“It's been so much fun getting involved in this amazing event with such a great group. Just really excited to see the product of all the organisation now!”
Isobelle Fitzgerald (Social Secretary):
“Working with this amazing group of women has been such an honour. I cannot wait to see the results of everyone’s hard work over the last few months!”
Comyn Kelleher Tobin proudly sponsor the biennial event, and the Women in Law Forum’s charity partner is the Cork Sexual Violence Centre. To learn more about the incredible work of the Centre, or how to avail of their services, visit https://www.sexualviolence.ie.
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