3rd Women Lawyers Conference 2021

The 3rd Women Lawyers Conference (WLC) 2021 was held entirely online across five evenings in November 2021, a format shaped by the pandemic but no less powerful for it.

 

The WLC 2021 was opened by A G Kalidas, then President of the Malaysian Bar, and by Santhi Latha, then President of AWL.

 

The theme asked every participant a simple and profound question: What is your fight song?

 

The answer, woven through five evenings of programming, was this: It is the song that keeps you going when you doubt yourself; when your profession is hard; and when the labels others place on you threaten to crowd out your own voice.

 

​Across fifteen sessions over five evenings, the WLC 2021 covered leadership, negotiation, strategic thinking, legal technology, personal data privacy, professional branding, activism, alternative career paths, networking, and the future of the legal profession.

 

The conference was notable for the breadth of its local and international speakers, who included practitioners at the peak of their careers alongside young lawyers, entrepreneurs, psychologists, and civil society leaders.

 

​Day 1 | Opened with a keynote by YA Dato' Mary Lim Thiam Suan, then a Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia, on leadership for the woman lawyer. Sessions followed on overcoming self-doubt and developing negotiation skills and strategic thinking.​

 

Day 2 | Explored the professional journey and the question of identity, with Uma Devi Rajasundram of Milestone Solicitors UK speaking on navigating professional transitions, followed by sessions on managing fear and the role of emotional authenticity in professional life.​

 

Day 3 | Took on impact and adaptability, with Dr Jasmine Begum, then Director of Legal, Corporate and Government Affairs for ASEAN at Microsoft Malaysia, addressing what it means to be strategic and ahead. Sessions on legal technology and personal data privacy followed.​

 

Day 4 | Addressed professional relationships and identity, with Roselyn S Sands, EY Global Labour and Employment Law Markets Leader, speaking on personal branding, followed by sessions on becoming a trusted advisor and on the power of professional networks.​

 

Day 5 | Closed the WLC 2021 with a session on non-traditional career paths, a breakout on legal activism, and a closing keynote by Tan Sri Zainun Ali, retired Federal Court Judge, on the future of the legal professional and the imperative of choice. 

 

Featured speakers included: YA Dato' Mary Lim Thiam Suan (Federal Court), Lavinie Thiruchelvam (Babydash), Shanti Abraham, Uma Devi Rajasundram (Milestone Solicitors UK), Dr Jasmine Begum (Microsoft Malaysia), Roselyn S Sands (EY Global), Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee, Selvamalar Alagaratnam (Skrine), and Tan Sri Zainun Ali (retired Federal Court Judge) and many more.