My role at Bower Bailey Q&A

28th March 2022

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022 we are highlighting some of Bower Bailey’s successful female achievers. Here we chat to Joanne Dobson, Senior Associate in our Banbury Property Department.

Tell us about your role at Bower Bailey?

I am a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Property department. I qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 and joined Bower Bailey in January 2014 as a Conveyancing Solicitor in the Banbury office. My role involves helping buyers and sellers navigate their way through the conveyancing process of buying and selling their property. In addition, I am the recommended solicitor for many local newbuild developments and assist plot purchasers with their purchases. I also deal with various other legal matters involving property, from staircasing shared ownership properties to equity release mortgages. Our conveyancing department covers a broad spectrum of Property work and no two matters are the same. In addition to my fee earning role, I am the appointed First Aider for the Banbury office; I am also responsible for co-ordinating the annual leave for all members of staff in the Banbury office and for organising the Banbury office social events, perhaps my favourite part of my role!

What do you enjoy about working at Bower Bailey?

The Firm has a very friendly atmosphere and everyone is supportive of each other. We have an open door policy and I know that if I need assistance with a file, there are several colleagues available to help, offer their opinion and give advice and guidance where needed. By the same token, team members are trusted with responsibility and are never micro managed which I feel results in a productive working environment. The office very much works as a team and everyone pulls together when needed to help each other. You know you have great colleagues when you like to spend time together socially and we can often be found on a Friday evening after work catching up on the weekly events with colleagues over a glass of wine in the local pub!

Have there been any challenges in your career as a woman in law?

I have two children so like many women who have families, I have taken time out of my career on maternity leave. Returning to a high pressure work environment after maternity leave and juggling childcare whilst working full time can be difficult at times, however, I have found Bower Bailey supportive and accommodating when I have needed to be flexible around childcare, especially during the Covid -19 pandemic when trying to juggle working from home and also home learning for primary and secondary school aged children.

Has the workplace changed for women during your career? If so, how?

I think there are more opportunities for women to progress now than there were when I first started in law. There tends to still be a notion that senior staff within law firms are predominantly male as is the case at Bower Bailey, I am hopeful that the tide is changing in this respect as women take on more senior roles in the workplace. Family dynamics have changed over time and family members often now have more equal roles at home than perhaps they did historically, which makes it easier for women to continue their career after having children, enabling them to progress alongside their male counterparts.
Workplaces are also starting to change and are becoming more adaptable to a flexible way of working which I think is more in keeping with modern life. The idea that law is a 9-5 job is no longer accurate, it is good to see that some firms are willing to provide the opportunity to work flexible hours enabling women (and men!) to improve their work/life balance, and allowing women who don’t want to give up their career for a family the opportunity to have both without sacrificing their next step on their career ladder.

Lastly, do you have any top tips or a word of advice for young female lawyers at the start of their careers?

Work hard and you can achieve everything you aim for and more! Always accept help and advice from your peers when you need it and never be afraid to ask questions of your superiors, they were all new lawyers once upon a time!