Women in the Legal Profession Part 1 – A History of Amazing Trailblazers

As it’s the week of International Women’s Day 2026, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the role of women in the legal profession, how far the profession has progressed in terms of gender equality, and opportunities for the future.

Over the past century, the legal profession in Ireland has undergone significant transformation. What was once an overwhelmingly male-dominated space now sees women entering legal practice in substantial numbers. As it currently stands, the pendulum has swung the other way, as female solicitors account for 53% of all practicing licenses in Ireland today.

While this is progress indeed and it’s great to see more equality in the legal workforce, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. From career progression opportunities, pay equality, juggling a work-life balance as a woman and challenging social norms in the workplace. These are all issues faced by many female solicitors today.

Here we take a trip right back down memory lane to the start of women in law, celebrate the real female trailblazers from the early years and look at some  

The Early History of Women in the Legal Profession

For much of modern legal history, women were excluded entirely from practising law. It was only in the early twentieth century that the barriers began to be dismantled.

A key milestone came with the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which allowed women to enter legal professions across Britain and Ireland. Before this, women were legally barred from becoming solicitors, barristers, or judges.

Following this change, a small but determined group of pioneers entered the profession. But as everything had been structured around a male workforce, these pioneers faced many obstacles in their way. Particularly when it came to accessing education at university level and apprenticeships in order to practise their craft.

Despite these constraints, their achievements laid the foundation for future generations of women in the legal profession.

Here is what happened in the following decades:

• Women gradually entered legal education in increasing numbers
• Female practitioners became more visible across various practice areas
• Professional organisations began acknowledging the importance of inclusion

Progress was small at first, but it marked the beginning of lasting change.

Women in the Legal Profession in Ireland: Early trailblazers

The early history of women in the legal profession in Ireland is closely tied to a number of pioneering figures who helped open doors within the profession to future generations.

Mary Dorothea Heron – The first woman to join the roll of Solicitors

One of the most important pioneers was Mary Dorothea Heron, who was born in Dublin in 1896. With the support of her uncle, a solicitor in Belfast, Mary graduated from Queens University with a degree in law. Because of the partition of Ireland which took place on 1 October 1921 Heron initially practiced in the North although she was one of the last to qualify to practice on both sides of the Irish border. In January 1923, Mary came second in her final exams and joined the role of solicitors in April of that same year.  Although she continued to work at her uncle’s office until 1946, she never took out a practicing certificate. In fact, it was actually quite common for non-court attending solicitors to not have a certificate. This is why Helena Early is counted as the first woman to practise as a solicitor in Ireland.

Helena Early – The first practising female solicitor in Ireland

Initially working as a law clerk for her brothers who were both solicitors, Helena was placed first in her Preliminary exams. Having excelled in her studies and exams, she started her apprenticeship with her brother, and applied for her practicing certificate in 1919. She was then admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1923, just shortly after Mary Dorothea Herson. A true trailblazer, Helena became the first woman in Ireland to hold the title of Commissioner of Oaths, and continued to run a successful practice with her brother on O’ Connell St, Dublin.

Frances Kyle and Averil Deverell – First women called to the bar

Progress was also being made at the Bar. Frances Kyle and Averil Deverell became the first women called to the Irish Bar in 1921. In particular, their calls to the bar made the headlines, not just in here in Ireland, but in New York, London and even India. What made this news even more interesting was the fact that this all happened a full year before the first woman was called to the Bar in England, which was Ivy Williams in May 2022.

Another milestone was celebrated in October 1921 as Frances Kyle became the first woman to win the John Brooke Scholarship. At the time, The Irish Times described her being awarded the Scholarship as representing “a women’s invasion of the law”.

Following  Averil Deverell’s official appointment to the Bar in 1921, she became the first woman in Ireland to enter the Law Library, kickstarting a career in practise that would last from January of 1922 until her retirement in 1969. Thanks to her influence and legacy, she became lovingly dubbed the ‘Mother of the Bar’.

Now that we can see how these amazing women paved the way for future generations of solicitors, let’s fast forward and discuss some of the legal-eagle ladies who are still breaking down the boundaries today.

Women in the Legal Profession: Current Generation of Female Legal Practitioners

Ann McCarthy

In the big cities such as Dublin and Cork, women were entering the legal profession in their droves. However progress is often made at a much slower pace in rural areas. That’s why we must mention Ann McCarthy, the mother to our co-founder Flor McCarthy. Ann initially trained as a theatre nurse, then she headed for the skies as a transatlantic air hostess. As was expected in 1970s rural Ireland, once married, she gave up her career and started raising a family. However she wanted more than the domestic life of a wife and mother, and after running various businesses such as a coffee shop, delicatessen and flower shop in Clonakilty, she was drawn to the world of legal practice. Studying for her law degree by night, mother of four children by day, she qualified as a solicitor in the mid 1980s. Given the busy life she had at the time, this was an incredible achievement. From there, she founded McCarthy + Co and her legacy continues today through her four sons – Flor, John, Joseph and Paul – who run and work in the business.

Anne Marie James

A long standing member of Solicitors Growth Network, Anne Marie James is a true advocate for all women, not just in the legal profession. Through her great work with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Anne Marie passionately supports and campaigns for victims of sexual crimes.  Juggling her day job as practising solicitor and managing partner at Kirwan McKeown James alongside her role as Chairperson of the DRCC is no easy feat. But Anne Marie also manages to fit in mentoring young professional female solicitors through a mentoring program with the Law Society of Ireland. And the DRCC continues to go from strength to strength led by Anne-Marie and her team. In 2025 DRCC were nominated and won the Bar Council Humanitarian award for their work on behalf of the rights of  victims of sexual violence prompting new legislation. 

Sonia McEntee

As a practising solicitor and principal of Sonia McEntee Solicitors, based in Cavan and Ongar, Sonia McEntee has been a huge inspiration for female solicitors who want to run their own solo practice. In 2009, Sonia set up the Sole Practitioner Network, a forum for a forum for solicitors to provide guidance and support to one another during the recession. Then in 2012, Sonia was the recipient of the Sole Practitioner Awards at the inaugural Irish Law Awards. Sonia has continued to support her fellow solicitor colleagues, through her work with the Law Society Council – both in her previous role as Chair of the Practice Support Task Force and her current position chairing the e-Conveyancing Sub-Committee. Here at Solicitors Growth Network, we have been delighted to have Sonia as one of our guest speakers.

Catherine Connolly

Of course, we must mention our current President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly. While she has been a huge inspiration in the world of politics, her career actually started out in the legal profession. Having obtained a law degree in 1989 from University College Galway, Catherine went on to become a Barrister-at-Law in 1991. She continued to practice as a barrister with a general practice, mainly in the areas of family law and personal injury right up until she was elected to the Dail in 2016. In July 2020, Catherine was elected to the position of Leas-Cheann Comhairle, the first woman ever to hold the post, having been elected by peers from all sides of the House, and was admired by all for her impartiality and fairness in the role.

Now as the President of Ireland, the third female president to take office in Aras An Uachtarain, Catherine continues to champion equality, accountability, and the Irish language.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Women in the Legal Profession Series

As we have explored in this article, the future is bright for prospective female solicitors who have plenty of pioneering women to follow and be inspired by.

Come back for Part 2 of our International Women’s Day 2026 series where we will take a look at the current challenges for women within the legal profession today. And we want to finish up with some hope and potential opportunities for growth that will pave the way for future generations of female legal practitioners.

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