Launch Event: Advancing women in tech, law and policy, ChIPs comes to London on 27 April 2017

Come to the UK Supreme Court for the ChIPs
launch event

Those who know the AmeriKat know she is an obsessive Harvard Business Review reader, so much so she is known to leave highlighted copies of relevant articles on the chairs and inboxes of people she knows.  That annoying trait aside, she was struck - but not surprised - at a recent article published by HBR entitled "Female Supreme Court Justices Are Interrupted More by Male Justices and Advocates".  The study, examining the transcripts of 15 years of US Supreme Court oral arguments, found that male justices interrupt the female justices approximately three times as often as each other.   Some readers may not be surprised by this statistic having experienced similar rates of interruption in their day jobs, from men and women, bosses and subordinates, alike.  However, it is a depressing statistic that even in one of the highest ranking legal jobs in the world, powerful women lawyers are still being interrupted, including by advocates (despite the rules).  The conclusion of the study is that

"What our findings additionally suggest is that there is no point at which a woman is high-status enough to avoid being interrupted."

But it is not just law where this finding is likely to ring true.  Women in science, technology, engineering and math will encounter similar environments.  If women struggle to get their voices heard - be it at the lab bench or judicial bench - how can their true contribution ever be realized?

These and other questions will be the subject of a conversation as part of the launch celebration of the first international chapter of ChIPs in London on 27 April 2017.

Date:  27 April 2017 

Time:  5:30 (registration); 6:00-7:30 (panel conversation); 7:30 onwards (drinks/nibbles) 

Location:  Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London SW1P 3BD, UK 

Who:  A group of extraordinary women will be making up the panel, including:

Baroness Sharon Bowles, Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted at UK House of Lords
Professor Jackie Hunter CBE, CEO of BenevolentAI Bio Ltd
Dr. Claire Craig CBE, Director of Science Policy at the Royal Society
Ros Lynch, Copyright and IP Enforcement Director, IPO
Sally Field, Partner, Patent Litigation, Bristows LLP
Charlotte May QC, Barrister, 8 New Square
Noreen Krall, ChIPs Co-founder and Vice President, Chief Litigation Counsel, Apple Inc. 

What is it about?  As reported by the AmeriKat from ChIPs Global Summit last September (see reports here) ChIPs was founded in 2005, and with over 1,500 members, and is dedicated to advancing women at the confluence of law, technology and regulatory policy by increasing diversity of thought, participation, and engagement.  The launch of the London ChIPs Chapter represents an important step in helping to realize the full involvement and potential of women in technology, law and policy world-wide. We embrace and celebrate differences. Through support, education, training and outreach, the ChIPs community of highly successful, talented and motivated professionals encourage one another and enhance each other’s ability to achieve valuable scientific, legal and business contributions. 

All proceeds going to Code First:  Girls

Membership and attendance at the event is open to anyone who shares the ChIPs mission and includes general counsels, private practitioners, judges, government officials, academics, students, board directors, innovators, investors, corporate executives and entrepreneurs.  

Cost: £20.  All proceeds from registration will be donated to Code First:Girls a non-profit organization devoted to helping women and girls in the UK to develop coding skills. 

Register:  Click on the Eventbrite page here.  

With the support of the ChIPs Board, this event is being spearheaded by this Kat and her fellow London Co-Chair, Sam Funnell.  If you have any questions or are interested in getting involved, just let them know.