Editorial

Abstract

We open 2022 with a lament on researching the legal profession. Flood’s earlier work on the English Bar set him in the perfect position to report on the “cab rank rule”. Flood sets out the fascinating research undertaken on what appears as a “simple concept intended to be a bulwark of the rule of law”; and the ferocious reaction of the Bar to the ensuing Report. The then chair of the Criminal Bar Association wrote, “Read it and weep”. You will read this and enjoy every moment. Dehaghani and Newman look at the challenges to legal aid criminal defence lawyers in South Wales, UK, through the prism of “resilience” of both lawyers and clients. They argue that undermining criminal defence increases the resilience of the prosecution and could set an imbalance in the justice system. Schultz discusses the role of women lawyers in arbitrations in Germany where such work had long been confined to men. “Women’s voice”, “report talk vs. rapport talk”, different gender approaches, the need for women in negotiations, the horizontal segregation of women into different professional work are mentioned against the background of gender inequality in the upper reaches of the profession. The need to reach a critical mass of 30% participation is assisted by creative networks, “women’s events” and growing awareness of disparity. Dawuni portrays the development of the legal profession in Ghana from the establishment of the first Law School in 1958. Seen through the eyes of some 30 interviewees, whilst detailed background data are as yet unavailable, the periods of colonisation, indigenisation, professionalisation and globalisation are discussed to show the changing dynamics in the profession. Quartey et al. provide research on how clients react to the competence of female lawyers in Ghana. Matching law firms’ concepts of competence with clients’ satisfaction with lawyers provides a well-known dichotomy. Quartey et al. stretch this complexity to how clients perceive the competence of female lawyers through “gender schemas”, arguing for better work–life balance and that law firms should use client perceptions more in assessing competence.