On April 3, our 3e students had the opportunity to spend a full day at a major law firm, Latham & Watkins, in Düsseldorf. The experience was part of Girls & Boys Day, a national initiative in Germany to promote equal opportunities in the professional world by breaking down gender stereotypes.
Welcomed warmly by the firm’s entire team, the students discovered the many facets of the legal sector: the daily life of a lawyer, the workings of a large international law firm, but also often little-known professions such as legal research, accounting and IT. Thanks to enriching discussions and inspiring testimonials, they were able to gain a better understanding of the stakes involved in law and the many possible careers in this field.
Beyond professional discovery, this day had a clear objective: to open up horizons. Girls & Boys Day invites young people to venture into professional worlds where their gender is under-represented. It’s a concrete way of combating the clichés that are still too prevalent in career choices, where boys are mainly attracted to technical fields, and girls to social or educational ones.
This type of action helps to develop students’ critical thinking skills, encourages them to reflect on their own representations and encourages them to make choices in complete freedom, in line with their skills and desires, and not societal expectations.
