World's women lawyers to meet

WOMEN: conference aims to find a balance between conflicting pressures

Some of the world's most successful and powerful women are to be brought together next March at a world women lawyers conference in London organised by the International Bar Association (IBA).The two-day conference is the brainchild of English-born IBA vice-president Dianna Kempe.

It will be opened by US secretary of state Madeleine Albright as keynote speaker and chair of the first day's plenary session on women's rights as human rights.

Queen Noor of Jordan has been invited to open the second day's session as keynote speaker on the issue of Islam, women and the law.

CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour will chair the debate.

There will also be a series of practice-based sessions as well as a world women lawyer award.Ms Kempe, who is senior partner of top Bermuda law firm Appleby Spurling & Kempe, said she had agreement in principle from leading City and US law firms to sponsor delegates from a poorer countries to help them afford the trip to the conference.

She is also securing sponsorship to bring down the cost of registration.There had initially been plans to hold the conference with the Law Society and the American Bar Association, but these fell through.Ms Kempe said the aim of the conference was to help women lawyers effect a balance in their careers between work, networking and pro bono work: 'We, as highly skilled and educated professionals, have a special role to play in the advancement of our legal systems and of women's rights within them, as well as in the development of our careers and places of work.'Ms Kempe should become IBA president this September after the IBA's council last month confirmed her as its favoured candidate to become president over Italian Mauro Rubino-Sammartano.

Mr Rubino-Sammartano told the Gazette this week he had not yet decided whether he will renew his candidacy at the IBA's general meeting in September, when the final vote is taken.

The general meeting usually follows the council's lead.

Neil Rose