Women in law urged to champion mentorship and access to justice

Panellists at Celebrating Women in Law, a Women’s Month discussion hosted by the Emeris Community Law Clinic, ProBono.Org and the Faculty of Law at Emeris Durban North. From left: facilitator Pearl Khumalo (Acting Regional Manager at ProBono.Org), Advocate Cheryl Smart (senior advocate at the KZN Society of Advocates), Amanda Zwane (Partner at Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys), Advocate Omashani Naidoo (Acting Deputy Director, KZN, National Prosecuting Authority) and Xoliswa Jwili (Founder and Director of Moyana Jwili Attorneys).

Women supporting women can play a powerful role in transforming the legal profession and ensuring the law continues to serve those who need it most.

This was one of the key messages at a recent Celebrating Women in Law Women’s Month panel discussion hosted by the Emeris Community Law Clinic, ProBono.Org and the Faculty of Law at Emeris Durban North.

The event brought together female legal practitioners who discussed mentorship, “sisterhood”, transformation in traditionally male-dominated legal spaces, access to justice and the role of lawyers in driving social change.

The panel was facilitated by Pearl Khumalo, acting regional manager at ProBono.Org, and featured Advocate Cheryl Smart, senior advocate at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Advocates; Amanda Zwane, partner at Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys; Advocate Omashani Naidoo, acting deputy director in KwaZulu-Natal at the National Prosecuting Authority; Asiya Khan, director of Legal Administration and Advocacy at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in KwaZulu-Natal; and Xoliswa Jwili, founder and director of Moyana Jwili Attorneys.