IWD Interview – Bill Conner

Standing Up, Speaking Out: Men Celebrating Women in the Law

This International Women’s Day, we are turning the spotlight outward.

We asked leading men across the profession to recognise the women who have influenced their careers, shaped their thinking, and continue to drive meaningful change within the legal industry. From respected mentors to rising stars, their reflections celebrate the women whose leadership, resilience and expertise are helping to define the future of the profession.

Together, these perspectives offer a moment of recognition – and a reminder that championing progress is a shared responsibility.

With more than four decades working at the heart of the Bar, Bill Conner has witnessed first-hand the profound changes taking place across the legal profession — not least the growing influence of women helping to shape its future. A Bar Clerk for over 40 years, including 25 years as Senior Clerk, Bill remains one of the most experienced clerks working in the legal sector today.

Throughout his career, Bill has worked alongside and been inspired by many remarkable women whose leadership, advocacy and determination have helped move the profession forward. In this International Women’s Day reflection, he highlights the individuals and initiatives that he believes are helping to shape a more inclusive and forward-looking Bar.

Which woman in the legal profession has most influenced or inspired your career, and why?

During my long career I have taken inspiration from a number of women, two of whom I worked closely with when I was Senior Clerk at 36 Bedford Row (now 36 Group).

Frances Oldham KC became Head of Chambers during my time there, and she was an incredibly inspiring leader.

At a time when there were far fewer women in senior leadership roles at the Bar, Frances led chambers with authority, intelligence and real integrity. Her presence as Head of Chambers was both impressive and quietly transformative – she set a standard that demonstrated exactly what strong, principled leadership at the Bar looks like.

Frances was called to the Bar in 1977 and took silk in 1994. Over the course of her distinguished career at the Bar, she was recognised as a leading silk and also served as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Family Division, a Crown Court Recorder, a Master of the Bench at Gray’s Inn, and was Leader of the Midland Circuit from 2002 to 2005. For a long period of time Frances built that career whilst single-handedly bringing up her children, juggling her parental responsibilities with a busy practice and the often long and taxing journeys to court frequently necessary on such a large circuit.  

For me, Frances remains a powerful example of leadership, professionalism and resilience at the Bar.

Harri Gibson was one of the first clerks to start her clerking career after obtaining a law degree, and being a graduate was a rarity itself. She had to overcome a lot of peer pressure at the start of her career carrying those labels. Back in those days it was an almost completely male-dominated profession with many believing that graduates were not as business savvy as those who came through the university of life, and that women were not resilient enough to do what they considered to be a man’s job. When I had the pleasure of working with Harri when she was Chambers’ Senior Criminal Clerk, she proved to be one of the most impressive clerks I have ever worked with – combining business and emotional intelligence with a strong hand when she needed it. She is now the Business Development Manager at the leading IP set, 8 New Square.

Is there a woman whose approach to advocacy, client care, or collaboration you particularly admire?

One woman whose approach to collaboration and professional support I greatly admire is Lucy Burrows. Lucy is a real powerhouse in the clerking world, and I’m delighted to be working with her again on a consultancy basis with ABC Legal Talent.

Lucy brings tremendous positive energy to everything she does – she is polished, formidable, hardworking and deeply passionate about supporting others. Having worked in senior roles at two Magic Circle sets and other leading commercial chambers, her clerking career has been nothing short of impressive.

Alongside her work with ABC Legal Talent, Lucy has also launched her own consultancy, where she focuses on supporting barristers returning to practice, strategic practice development and planning, as well as wellbeing, mentoring and retention at the Bar. She has also contributed to profession-wide initiatives with the Commercial Bar Association and the Chancery Bar Association, as well as the Harman Review.

Lucy was recognised in the The Lawyer Hot 100 and won the Women & Diversity in Law Awards. She has already helped many individuals reach their potential and thrive in what has traditionally been a heavily male-dominated profession, and that kind of impact will only continue to strengthen the future of the Bar. I look forward to seeing just how much she will accomplish on her new venture.

Is there a woman whose work is shaping the future of the Bar?

One woman whose work I believe is helping to shape the future of the Bar is Monica Feria-Tinta of Twenty Essex. I first became aware of Monica’s work after my daughter attended a talk she gave about her book, A Barrister for the Earth, which offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of ten landmark environmental cases.

What I find particularly compelling about Monica’s work is how she uses the law to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet. Through her advocacy, she argues for the protection of ecosystems such as cloud forests and calls for governments to be held accountable for environmental inaction. Her work pushes the boundaries of how the law understands rights – exploring how legal systems might recognise the planet’s rights and reframe what a “right to life” could mean in an environmental context.

In 2021 she acted as amicus curiae in the first case on the Rights of Nature before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, a landmark moment in the development of environmental law.

Having spent time myself in the cloud forests of Costa Rica and being a lifelong lover of nature, I find Monica’s work advocating for “Mother Nature” genuinely inspiring. On International Women’s Day, it feels especially fitting to celebrate a barrister whose work gives a legal voice to the natural world itself.

What work by women at the Bar do you think is helping to move the profession forward?

One recent piece of work that I think will genuinely help to move the profession forward is Baby at the Bar by Emma Price (5 Essex Court) and Emma-Louise Fenelon (1 Crown Office Row).

The book offers much-needed guidance for barristers at the self-employed Bar navigating parenthood – from taking and returning from maternity or parental leave to managing the evolving challenges of balancing practice and family life in the years that follow. Drawing on the insight of more than 250 barristers across different practice areas and levels of call, it fills a longstanding gap in openly shared advice within the profession.

Beyond offering reassurance and practical guidance, the book also encourages chambers, colleagues and the judiciary to think about how the profession can better support those with parenting responsibilities.

Both authors are outstanding practitioners in their own right. Emma Price is on the Attorney General’s A Panel of Counsel and was named Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 UK Bar Awards in 2024, while Emma-Louise Fenelon, a leading junior and member of the Attorney General’s B Panel, was named Barrister of the Year at the Women in Law Awards 2024. It’s impressive to see them using their experience and influence to open up such an important conversation for the future of the Bar.

Is there a piece of work by women at the Bar that you believe is helping drive meaningful change in the profession?

One piece of work by women that I believe is helping drive meaningful change in the profession is the Harman Review, led by The Rt Hon. the Baroness Harman KC.

What stands out most about the review is not only the dedication of Baroness Harman KC and the women on the working group who committed an enormous amount of time and care to the process, but also the courage of those who came forward to share their experiences. Speaking openly about difficult issues within the profession cannot have been easy, but it was essential in helping shine a light on the realities some members of the Bar have faced.

In particular, I was struck by the bravery of Eve Robinson, who spoke publicly in a powerful interview with the BBC last year. By sharing her experience, she helped ensure that these conversations reach far beyond the report itself.

The review is an important and necessary piece of work. My hope is that it serves as a genuine wake-up call for the profession and helps drive the cultural shifts needed to ensure the Bar is a place where everyone can build a career and thrive.

Is there a rising star whose work or perspective you find especially encouraging?

Two rising stars who come to mind are Alice de Coverley (3PB) and Sophie Stevens (9BR Chambers), both passionate trailblazers for neurodiversity in the legal profession. They recently joined us as panellists at a neurodiversity event we hosted last month, and I was struck by their honesty, collaborative spirit and the important work they are doing behind the scenes to support neurodivergent lawyers through their work with Neurodiversity in Law.

Neurodiversity is still an emerging and sometimes misunderstood subject within the profession, and speaking openly about it – particularly early in your career – requires real confidence and conviction. Alice and Sophie are helping to move the conversation forward in a thoughtful and constructive way, creating greater awareness and support for neurodivergent legal professionals.

It’s also fantastic to see Sophie’s work being recognised, with her nomination for the Women & Diversity in Law Awards this year. I wish her the very best of luck.

Women who Inspire me

I also couldn’t let the occasion pass without recognising the many remarkable women who have contributed such thoughtful insights to our campaigns over the past year. Women like Michelle Greene (New Square Chambers), who made history as the first BAME female Senior Clerk at the Chancery Bar and spoke powerfully about the importance of empathy, fairness and ensuring women receive equal access to opportunities within chambers. Faye Stimpson (QEB Hollis Whiteman) shared a compelling perspective on the importance of education, communication and transparency in creating meaningful cultural change, reminding us that we must always “keep the ladder we have climbed in place” for those who follow. Sian Huckett (Fountain Court Chambers) reflected on the importance of flexible working and open communication in supporting women to balance professional responsibilities with caregiving duties in a modern chambers. Jacky Chase (Essex Court Chambers) highlighted the importance of practical support for working parents, including flexible working arrangements and enhanced parental leave policies. Meanwhile, Sarah Earl (Old Square Chambers) spoke about the need to normalise difficult conversations about gender inequality at the Bar and to pursue meaningful progress through openness and dialogue. Their contributions were thoughtful, honest and deeply encouraging – truly trailblazing voices within the profession.

I would also like to recognise Michelle Brown, our PR consultant and an absolute powerhouse in the PR world, who wrote a particularly powerful piece for our Black History Month campaign. Michelle shared reflections on cultural identity, allyship and the importance of continuing conversations about race and representation beyond a single month, reminding us that real progress requires sustained action and honest dialogue.

And of course, Nneka Akudolu KC (2 Hare Court) contributed a powerful interview, reflecting on her extraordinary journey to the Bar and the importance of visibility, resilience and pride for Black professionals in the legal sector. Her story – from an unconventional path into law to becoming a highly respected silk – is a powerful reminder that representation matters and that breaking barriers can redefine what is possible for those who follow.