Millicent Grant was the President of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and the first President from a visible minority background. Growing up, she was inspired by a photo of her uncle, who came from Jamaica, joined the RAF during World War II, qualified as a barrister, and later practised law in Nigeria.
She explains she started in secretarial work because she needed to earn while studying for the Institute’s exams. In her first job, she was told the firm wouldn’t support her training because she was a woman (this was before the Sex Discrimination Act), as they believed women would just get married and leave.
She says she overcame these barriers by staying focused on what she wanted, making a plan for herself rather than following other people’s expectations, and seeking alternative routes to get the experience she needed. She also notes that women in the legal profession can be sidelined, partly because their working styles and caring responsibilities are unfairly treated as a disadvantage. Finally, she argues women can help other women by encouraging them and creating a supportive, collegiate environment.
