International Women's Day 2019 - GULS Interviews — University of Glasgow School of Law Blog

Mar 8

Mar 8 International Women's Day 2019 - GULS Interviews

‘Ambition’ – a strong desire to achieve

At the University of Glasgow we are taught that through our education and drive we can ‘change the world.’ On the surface this could be seen as simply a nice piece of rhetoric, but as law students at Glasgow we walk in the shadow of world changers every day.

Pioneers such as Madge Easton Anderson and Nicola Sturgeon: from the first female solicitor to the first female leader of our country, Glasgow’s female legal alumni have been paving the way for almost one hundred years. In their ambition we must find strength, we must find admiration and we must be driven to match and further their success to set an example for the students who will proceed us. In celebration of International Women’s Day Glasgow University Law Society are honoured to present interviews with our female role models from across the legal profession. These women are living proof that there are no limits to the success which can be achieved through ambition and hard work; from becoming the first female judge appointed to the Court of Session, to appearing before the European Court of Justice and rising to Partner in one of the UK’s foremost commercial law firms.

It is through their ambition that these women have achieved such immeasurable success, and it is through ambition that we will follow in their footsteps. However, whilst we celebrate the success of our role models on International Women’s Day, both ambition and success must be blind to gender. The success of our peers and predecessors, particularly in the face of adversity, must be celebrated at all times regardless of what gender they identify with, what class, religion, race or what background. We must take great pride in those who have come before us and learn to build upon their success.

GULS would like to say a huge thank you to all of our interviewees for helping us to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for showing us that no matter how impossible it may seem now, we are in great company and success is just around the corner.

~Eilidh Sheah, GULS President

Dr Anni Pues

Dr Anni Pues is currently an International Law lecturer and researcher at the University of Glasgow. Before turning to academia, however, Anni worked as an award-winning Human Rights and Criminal Defence Lawyer in Germany. Her unparalleled legal expertise saw her admitted to the List of Counsel at the International Criminal Court, and she has also acted as a legal representative before the European Court of Justice.