Battle of the sexes

Some 81 years ago, the first woman was admitted to the Roll of solicitors, and a newsworthy event it was too.

But we have to wonder whether the fact that a law firm has its first woman partner is still an event to make a fuss about.

Manchester firm Turner Parkinson, which has been in business seven years, has issued a press release entitled 'Male bastion toppled at TP', recording the promotion of Colette Johnson as the firm's seventh partner.

Senior partner Nick Davenport jokes: 'I'm sure she is more than up to the challenge of sorting the male partners out.' When women are in the majority in the solicitors' profession, as could well be the case in the next ten years if recent trends are maintained, will we receive press releases announcing in impressed tones that a man has broken into an all-female partnership? Somehow we doubt it.