News

On January 23, 2025, more than 100 female and gender-diverse law students and nearly 50 legal professionals gathered at the Cable Wharf in downtown Halifax for the second annual Dalhousie Feminist Legal Association (DFLA) Women+ in the Law Networking Night.

Paige Gallant, a combined JD/MBA student, DFLA member and planning committee co-chair, recalls how the initial concept came together in her second year of law school. “We wanted to design an event to connect female and gender-diverse students and legal professionals across various fields,” she explains. “Our goal was to facilitate authentic conversations where attendees could share their experiences and begin building a professional network of support.”

From that idea, the Women in the Law Networking Night began to take shape; the inaugural event took place in late January 2024 with 100 female and gender-diverse law students and nearly 30 legal professionals.

In preparation for the second event in 2025, the DFLA planning committee prioritized partnering with equity-deserving groups, intentionally reaching out for feedback from numerous law societies, including the Dalhousie Asian Law Students Association (DALSA), Dalhousie Black Law Students' Association (DBLSA), Dalhousie Indigenous Law Students Association (DILSA), OUTLaw, and the Schulich Disability Alliance. These groups were asked to share their thoughts on the past event and contribute to making improvements for the next iteration of the networking initiative.

The input received led to several key changes including selecting a venue that was fully accessible with gender-neutral washrooms, adding a ‘+’ symbol to the event’s name to be more inclusive, and working with societies to identify and invite more racially and gender-diverse legal professionals and alumnae.

Schulich Law Dean Sarah Harding was a part of both events. “They were very well attended and exceptionally well organized,” she shares. “It was clear that students were using the opportunity to meet and speak with a range of legal professionals and enjoy the camaraderie of a group of smart and successful women. Many thanks to DFLA and its partners for creating and hosting such marvellous networking opportunities.”

As feedback from the 2025 event trickles in, Gallant says she is proud of everyone’s hard work. “From the guest list to the catering to the ‘Networking Bingo’ cards, participants said they appreciated the thoughtfulness and intention we put into the details. I look forward to seeing what the planning committee comes up with for next year!”