About Us
The Next 100 Years, the new project from the team behind the First 100 Years, is dedicated to achieving equality for women in law.
Over the next decade we want to accelerate the pace of change by encouraging collaboration across the profession, improving the visibility of women in law and supporting the women lawyers of the future.
The ten-year project is powered by Spark21, a charity founded to celebrate, inform and inspire future generations of women in the profession. It builds on the success of the First 100 Years project, created to chart the journey of women in law in the first 100 years following the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which paved the way for women to become lawyers for the first time. The five-year project culminated in the centenary celebrations in 2019.
The Next 100 Years will continue the work of the First 100 Years, capturing the inspirational stories of today’s pioneering women lawyers, educating the public on the legacy of the legal pioneers of the past and driving the change needed to create an equal future for women in the profession.
FAQs on the Next 100 Years
What is the Next 100 Years’ mission?
The legal pioneers of the last 100 years have left an enduring legacy for us to build on. Much has been achieved but the pace of change is too slow. We need to accelerate change so that significant progress is made in the next ten years.
The Next 100 Years is focused on encouraging collaboration across the profession, improving the visibility of women in law and supporting the women lawyers of the future. This important work is only possible because of the donations we receive from individuals, businesses and other prominent organisations from across the legal profession. There are plenty of opportunities for those interested in supporting the project so please take a look and find out more about how you can get involved [link to ‘Get Involved] and help create equality for women in law.
Why do we need change?
Many organisations in the legal world are succeeding in creating a better working environment for women, in which discrimination and harassment are not tolerated and family friendly working patterns are at least a possibility. Things are moving in the right direction, but we don’t want to wait another 100 years for equality.
What will the Next 100 Years be doing in practice?
Women lawyers of the past and present need to be more visible. Having just one or two high profile women in your organisation is not enough, we need rock bands, not rock stars. We plan to hold an annual lecture series, featuring women who are leaders in their field. The legal profession needs to support the next generation of women lawyers, looking to open up to those from underrepresented groups. We are also looking at ways we can help improve accessibility, including bursaries and a mentoring scheme.
The First 100 Years began with the intention of creating a legacy. Now that the centenary has passed, does that work finish?
As well as premiering over forty films featuring pioneering women in the legal profession, the centenary saw the publication of a book charting the journey of women in law, the launch of a podcast series, the commissioning of an artwork which is the first hanging in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to depict a woman, and a series of guided walks around London for those interested in learning more about the history of women in the profession.
We are ensuring that our archive is preserved for future generations. At the same time, we will continue the work of the First 100 Years, capturing the inspirational stories of today’s pioneering women lawyers and educating the public on the legacy of the legal pioneers of the past.