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Professor, I remember that story about the orchestra.

Now, live orchestral music, like every branch of the entertainment business, requires work at the times when other folk are at leisure.

And successful orchestras travel, and can spend weeks living out of suitcases.

Now whether it's nature or nurture it's difficult to say, but many women - and far fewer men - have a form of private life which is not readily compatible with that. So if the Leader of the Brass section says "Congratulations, Ms Blow, welcome to the tuba section, we have concerts every evening next week and in six weeks we begin a three week tour of the Far East" and she says "but I can't possibly do that, I have young children" what then? If the Leader says "It's part of the job, take it or leave it" is s/he discriminating against Ms Blow as a woman?

It's rarely that bad in the law, but there is often work to be done at awkward hours and away from home, and if you can't do it, that job is not for you. Any ideas, anyone?