Legally Blonde: Inspiring women in law for 20 years

Located on Swansea’s Castle Street, Cinema & Co is an eclectic hub for movie lovers and nostalgia aficionados alike. It’s relaxed pallet seats were just so comfortable, and perfect for settling down with a pizza to watch a retro movie.

We had a wonderful evening on Saturday, as we enjoyed a 20th anniversary screening of Legally Blonde (wearing mandatory pink, of course!).

Many may mock the movie’s exaggerated rhetoric and fabulous styling, but it was undoubtedly a feminist movie ahead of its time. It had a profound impact on young women like myself, as we navigated our educational pathways towards life as professionals.

It was released when I was at University, studying English Literature, just before I started applying for law schools and training contracts. It didn’t inspire me to study law (I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but I just didn’t want to study a law degree for my undergrad), but it gave me the confidence I needed to pursue this career in what was then, still a very male-dominated and traditional career.

I graduated from a London law school in 2005, and qualified as a lawyer in 2007 after completing my two-year training contract. 15 years later, and I am a Partner at the firm I trained with, specialising in technology contract, rather than Elle’s criminal, law.

Legally Blond taught me three important things that have influenced both my life & career ever since:

1. You don’t have to choose between being yourself and being taken seriously. It might prove difficult at times, but you should never stop believing in yourself and bringing your personality and uniqueness to the table;

2. It shows us that other women are our allies, and that we should not fall for the age-old trap of seeing them as the competition; and

3. It emphasises that we can succeed by being nice people, by giving people the benefit of the doubt, and always encouraging everyone to reach their full potential.

I love that Elle Wood has inspired so many women for two decades, and I hope she, and all those of us who have followed in her footsteps, continue to do so for generations of women to come. As Reese Witherspoon herself once remarked: “You can be unapologetically feminine but also smart and driven.” Always remember that.