The Research Society of International Law is committed to promoting gender equality within the legal profession. RSIL, as an organisation, has long been host to and has invested in the success of women within its ranks, many of whom have gone on to advance their careers to a senior management level, whether within or outside RSIL. As women at RSIL, we recognise that we have been supported in our personal and professional growth, and the time has come to pay that forward.
Women in International Law Mentoring Programme 2024
In the summer of 2024, RSIL successfully conducted the second edition of the Women in International Law Mentoring Programme in collaboration with the Women in Law Initiative, Pakistan. This programme continues to support young women in Pakistan by fostering their personal and professional growth. The 2024 cohort included 13 mentees who participated in 8 sessions held between June and August.
The sessions covered key legal skills, including legal research, writing, international law treaties, and cases. Additional sessions focused on research ethics, gender justice, and research methodology, providing mentees with a well-rounded foundation for their future careers.
Through mentorship, the programme has empowered mentees to develop their confidence and legal acumen, preparing them to take the next steps in their careers and build a supportive community of women in law. RSIL aims to expand the programme in the future, reaching more young women from various cities.
A copy of the 2024 programme is available here.
Women in International Law Mentoring Programme 2023
In 2023, RSIL instituted the first of its kind, Women in International Law Mentoring Programme in Pakistan, in collaboration with the Women in Law Initiative, to support young women in their personal and professional growth. The programme connected experienced female international lawyers with female law students and recent graduates to support them in developing their skills and confidence to manage their future careers.
The mentorship programme included sessions on legal writing and research methods and taught mentees necessary legal skills, including reading treaties, writing case briefs and speaking in public. Mentees were also given the opportunity to develop their soft skills, legal acuity, and self-esteem by discussing their career goals with mentors who helped them develop a career plan. The programme hopes to produce mentees who will share their skills with those younger than them as they progress up the career ladder and foster a community of supportive women who look out for and encourage each other. RSIL hopes to expand the programme to mentor more women from different cities in Pakistan
A copy of the 2023 programme is available here.
Women in Law Mixer
To celebrate the mentees’ successful completion of the Women in International Law Mentoring Programme, RSIL hosted a networking mixer for women in law. Mentees got the chance to meet lawyers they look up to and build their professional networks.
We had the pleasure of hosting notable lawyers and judges, including Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal, Asma Hamid and Sabahat Rizvi, who provided encouragement and guidance to our mentees.
'I'm an International Lawyer: Ask me Anything!' Webinar
RSIL organised a webinar in collaboration with Women in Law, Pakistan, to remove the mystery around what being an international lawyer in Pakistan looks like. Ayesha Malik, Zainab Shahid, Zoha Shahid, Noor Fatima, and Maha Husain discussed the areas of international law in which they specialise and answered questions on work-life balance, opportunities available and what they did to get where they are.
