An office mentoring chain between women lawyers at national law firm Clarke Willmott in Taunton is paying dividends for the next generation of legal talent.
Solicitor Paige Skudder is the latest to benefit from the chain where one woman passes on her experience to another and is now encouraging others to do the same.
Paige praises her “wonderful and collaborative relationship” with partner Laura Mackain-Bremner, who in turn has been supported by fellow partner Esther Woolford since she was a newcomer.
“When I first joined Clarke Willmott, Laura, who was my supervisor, kindly offered me weekly one to ones,” says Paige, who qualified as a solicitor in March 2025. 
“Those sessions often involved talking through my workload or exploring the many questions that naturally come with finding your feet.
“I’ve benefited enormously from Laura’s time, her investment in my development, and her willingness to share her knowledge, experience, and support.
“In return, I’ve had the chance to learn from her supportive leadership style, the way she works with clients, and her approach to business development.”
In her own case, Laura, a partner in the commercial and private client litigation team, says she was “extremely lucky” to have had her own mentor, in the form of partner and solicitor advocate Esther Woolford.
“During my career I have seen a year-on-year rise in the number of female solicitors, and it is so wonderful to see more equality generally in the industry,” said Laura.
“I had a wonderful female mentor in Esther, who showed me the difference a strong role model can make, particularly one who lifts you up and encourages you to be better.
“As my own career has developed, I’ve found myself increasingly invested in supporting junior colleagues and sharing whatever guidance or insight might help them.
“I believe in championing everyone in the workplace, but there is something special about women lifting each other up. It’s a pleasure to play even a small part in someone’s career journey.”
Esther, who also heads Clarke Willmott’s agriculture team, says good mentoring makes every kind of sense.
“Investing time in junior colleagues not only helps them grow; it strengthens the whole team and the work we deliver to clients, whilst also building a happy and productive team” says Esther, who joined Clarke Willmott in 2013.
“I’m delighted that the guidance I was able to offer Laura has gone on to inspire Paige, creating a chain of support that is helping shape the next generation of women lawyers at the firm.”
Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.
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