Phd Studentship : Early women solicitors in England and Wales 1919-1939 (Lady Cruickshank Studentship)

Based in the Department of Law at Queen Mary University of London, the Lady Cruickshank studentship is valued at £25 000 per annum for three fulltime equivalent years, covering:

• Annual tuition fees for a Home or International student (for 2024-25 these were £4,786 for full-time Home students, and £23,050 for full-time International students.  The fee rate for future years to be confirmed)); and
• The remainder to be paid to the student as a tax-free stipend for your living (in regular instalments) or research (as a lump sum) costs.  

About this project

In 2016 Elizabeth Cruickshank published a paper entitled “’Follow the Money’: the first women who qualified as solicitors 1922-1930”.  A central argument of “Follow the Money” was that women’s ability to practice law in the first two decades after the enactment of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 was primarily facilitated by family connections, in particular, by solicitor fathers seeking to replace their deceased soldier sons in the family law firm.

This studentship picks up the theme of “Follow the Money” Using previous research undertaken by Lady Cruickshank and the records of the Association of Women Solicitors, the studentship will facilitate the writing of a PhD thesis which explores Lady Cruickshank’s ideas.  The PhD awardee will work with supervisors to define the scope, research questions, and research methods for the doctoral project. 

 It is envisaged that the research will include an examination of the following questions:

• To what extent and in what ways was the solicitors’ profession affected by World War One?

• What was the public and professional discourse surrounding the admission of women to the legal profession?

• What was the position of women who qualified as solicitors between 1922-1939?

1.   How many qualified? What can be said about them as individuals and as a group?
2.   Of those who qualified, how many were able to practice as lawyers? What were the obstacles facing aspiring women solicitors?
3.   How many trained and/or were employed in a firm to which they had family connections? Of those who trained and/or fund employment elsewhere
4.   How did this phenomenon affect the development of their careers and those of other women who did not or could not avail themselves of this pathway into the profession? For example, did      it curtail their professional development? Were they able to continue with feminist activism (where relevant)?
5.   To what extent did women work as individuals or did they make use of informal or formal associations? To what extent did they make a difference to either the numbers or the experiences of    early women solicitors? 

• What barriers did women seeking to become lawyers during this period face?

Academic Enquiries

For academic queries, contact c.morris@qmul.ac.uk  

For enquiries relating to eligibility or application process, email Mr Gareth Skehan, g.skehan@qmul.ac.uk.

Application requirements

All applicants should have a postgraduate degree in Law at either Distinction or Merit level.   

For information click the 'Apply' button above.

It is expected that all applications will be accompanied by:

• a research proposal of approximately 3000 words that displays a good command of past and current academic and professional writing on women solicitors and an appreciation of how the proposed thesis sits within the field; and
• a detailed cv and supporting statement demonstrating the applicant’s suitability and interest in the field.

You must name Professor Morris as the intended supervisor on the application form.

Start date of course:  September 2025

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