Promoting Volunteerism And Community Engagement

Growing up, I was told that people like me ... those from lower socio-economic backgrounds – don’t go into careers like law. Yet, my male counterparts from similar backgrounds were applauded for their ambitions. That moment stuck with me. It made me question why certain aspirations are encouraged for some, but seen as unrealistic for others. It made me aware of the unspoken barriers that exist – not just in terms of gender, but also class, networks, and access to opportunities. While the legal profession has made significant progress in gender representation, challenges remain – particularly for women at senior levels and for those who don’t follow the traditional pathway into law. A Thomson Reuters report highlights key areas where women in law still face barriers: – Bias in hiring and progression: Women, especially those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, may not always have access to the same networks and opportunities as their more privileged peers. Unconscious bias can play a role in hiring, promotions, and client-facing opportunities. – Retention challenges: Women continue to leave the profession at higher rates than men, often due to career progression barriers, work-life balance concerns, and lack of mentorship at senior levels. – The gender pay gap: Despite positive change, disparities remain, particularly at the most senior levels, where women are underrepresented in full-equity partnerships and top leadership roles. These findings reflect industry-wide challenges, but many organisations and individuals are actively working to address them. How do we empower more women to not only enter the legal profession, but thrive in it? – Mentorship and sponsorship: Encouraging senior professionals to actively support, mentor, and advocate for women at earlier stages in their careers. – Flexible and inclusive career pathways: Recognising that not all lawyers take the same route, and ensuring alternative pathways (like solicitor apprenticeships or CILEX) are valued. – Challenging biases: Recognising the intersection of gender and socio-economic background, and ensuring hiring and promotion decisions are based on ability, not connections or privilege. I would love to hear your thoughts – what do you think needs to change to ensure women can thrive in law? #IWD2025 #WomenInLaw #BreakingBarriers #DiversityInLaw #SocialMobility #EquityInLaw

Corporate volunteering has become the new office plant. Something companies put in the corner, water once a year, and point to when visitors ask about their "culture." A checkbox. A photo-op. A day when employees paint walls at an NGO, post group selfies with hashtags, and return to their desks feeling momentarily better about their 60-hour workweeks. But here's what we're missing: volunteering was never meant to be an event. It was meant to be a practice. The companies that understand this difference are quietly transforming from the inside out. They're not just organizing annual drives where employees show up, distribute food packets, and leave. They're embedding service into their organizational DNA. Making it rhythmic. Consistent. Expected. And the results are startling. When volunteering shifts from a calendar event to a cultural cornerstone, something changes in the air. People start seeing each other differently. The marketing guy who seems standoffish in meetings shows unexpected gentleness with elderly residents. The quiet developer who barely speaks in standups emerges as a natural leader when teaching coding to underprivileged kids. Masks fall. Hierarchies soften. Connections deepen. This isn't just feel-good corporate speak. The data backs it up. Companies with sustained volunteering programs report 26% higher employee engagement scores. Their retention rates climb. Their employer brand strengthens. Not because they're doing more CSR, but because they're creating more meaning. The truth is, humans are wired for purpose beyond paychecks. We can pretend all we want that competitive salaries and fancy titles are enough. But at 2 AM, when the spreadsheet blurs and the deadline looms, it's not the compensation package that keeps us going. It's knowing that our work connects to something larger than quarterly targets. Volunteering bridges that gap. Not the performative kind that happens once a year. But the consistent kind that becomes part of how you operate. Daan Utsav, India's week of giving, offers the perfect starting point. Seven days when the entire nation turns toward service. But the smartest companies don't stop there. They use those seven days to build momentum for the other 358. They create volunteering rhythms - monthly, quarterly, ongoing. They measure impact beyond hours spent. They celebrate the quiet heroes who show up consistently, not just the executives who show up for the photo. Most importantly, they understand that volunteering isn't just something nice companies do. It's something transformative companies become. Because when service moves from your calendar to your culture, you don't just change communities. You change yourself. And that's when corporate volunteering stops being a plant in the corner and becomes the soil everything else grows from. ps - enjoyed using nano banana (Sundar's tool) to make an image of him volunteering!

International Women’s Day often celebrates progress. But in the digital world, some realities remain uncomfortable. Over the years, through my work in cyber law and digital safety, I have seen patterns that rarely make it into public conversations. 😟 A young woman withdrawing from a job opportunity because someone created explicit fake profiles in her name. 😟A professional hesitating to file a complaint because she feared the investigation itself might expose her further. 😟A student deleting all her social media accounts after receiving threats of morphed images being circulated. 😟A woman receiving anonymous messages reminding her that “the internet never forgets. None of these women lacked strength. What they lacked was clarity about the system that was supposed to protect them. 👉 Where should they report first? 👉 What if the offender deletes the content? 👉 Can platforms be legally compelled to act? 👉 What evidence should be preserved immediately? 👉 How does an FIR actually move forward in digital cases? The law exists. But the pathway to using it effectively is not always clear. Which is why, for me, International Women’s Day is not only about celebrating resilience. It is about building legal confidence in digital spaces. As someone working closely in cyber law and digital governance, there are a few things I am deeply committed to offering women professionals and students: • Practical legal awareness on responding to digital harm • Structured guidance on preserving digital evidence correctly • Understanding how cyber investigations actually move • Clarity on legal remedies beyond simply “reporting” • Spaces to learn and ask questions without hesitation Knowledge does not eliminate harm. But it removes confusion — and confusion is what often makes situations feel overwhelming. Digital spaces now shape our reputation, careers, and opportunities. Women deserve to navigate these spaces with confidence, awareness, and legal clarity. If you are someone who believes women should feel prepared — not just resilient — in digital environments, this conversation is important. This International Women’s Day, my commitment remains simple: To continue building awareness, clarity, and capability so that women know not just that the law exists — but how to use it when it matters. I have also shared a simple digital evidence checklist for women who may need clarity on what to do if online harm occurs. Happy International Women’s Day.

🇦🇪 Can a law firm be kind, profitable, and built for people—from the ground up? In our latest episode of the Legally Speaking Podcast ™️ – Dubai Miniseries, sponsored by Clio - Cloud-Based Legal Technology, I sat down with Clotilde Iaia-Polak, Managing Partner of Yungo Law, and one of the UAE’s most community-driven legal founders. Clotilde isn’t just building a law firm—she’s building a movement. 💡 From being one of the first to prove remote legal practice could work in the UAE… 💡 To founding a firm focused on financial independence, flexibility and career opportunity for women… 💡 To organising sold-out events like “Skill Building for Women, by Women”… Clotilde’s journey is a testament to values-led legal entrepreneurship. Here’s what we covered in this episode: ✔️ Creating an inclusive legal practice model – How Clotilde rebuilt her firm post-COVID with a flexible, human-first structure supporting working mothers and career returners. ✔️ Financial independence as empowerment – Why financial literacy and access to justice are central to protecting women and children. ✔️ The reality of business development – From social media to AI, she shares how small firms can punch above their weight in a competitive market. ✔️ What she looks for when hiring – Hint: It’s not your grades or where you trained—it’s your passion beyond law. Clotilde’s standout insight: 💬 “If your passion becomes your business, your business will thrive. You can be profitable—and do good.” 🎙️ Recorded on location in Dubai, this episode dives into the real story of what it takes to build a firm that’s flexible, inclusive, and future-ready in a rapidly evolving region. 🔗 Now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Is your firm empowering people—or just employing them? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. 👇 #LegallySpeakingPodcast #WomenInLaw #LegalCareers #LegalEntrepreneurship #LegalCommunity

Your employees are one of the most underused CSR assets you have. Not their wallets or their names on a donor wall. It’s their skills, their time and their stories. Employee volunteerism in education is still treated like a nice-to-have at most companies. A feel-good day or a team photo at a school. That's not volunteerism, that's optics. Real impact looks different. A data analyst teaching a class on Excel to high schoolers and staying in touch as a mentor. A product manager running a mock interview series for college seniors. An engineer co-designing a STEM project with a teacher, not just funding it. When employees bring their actual expertise into classrooms, two things happen. One, students get a window into careers they didn't know existed and two, employees rediscover why their work matters. The companies winning at this aren't just giving employees paid volunteer days. They're building structured programs with school partnerships, clear curricula, and follow-through that lasts beyond a single visit. If your CSR strategy includes education, ask yourself, are your people involved, or just your budget? The answer makes all the difference.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧… 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬. Surprisingly, too many of us drop the ball post-contribution. Donors are met with silence, waiting weeks for an acknowledgment of their gift — if one comes at all. This delay is not just discourteous—it's detrimental. Every day a donor remains unengaged decreases the likelihood of further contributions, significantly reducing their lifetime value. We all get dazzled by the allure of new prospects. But what about the donors already on board? Prompt and thoughtful engagement can turn a new donor into a lifelong supporter. A donor who feels valued and sees the impact of their contribution is far more likely to deepen their commitment. Effective donor management isn't just good manners; it's a strategic imperative. It builds a community of supporters who aren't just contributors but are true partners in your mission. Our study of 126,000 first-time donors underscores this: Fast, regular, and highly personal acknowledgments, immediately followed by the next ask, radically improve both donor retention and lifetime value. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬?

Many organisations offer their employees paid one-off volunteering days. This sounds great on paper. The intention is brilliant. But the truth is, this RARELY helps charities. In fact, it often causes their staff team MORE work. Not exactly the impact you're hoping for. I know this from personal experience. One-day corporate visits are logistically challenging to make genuinely useful. What charities actually need is Commitment. Consistency. Real partnership. But the good news is it's absolutely possible. It starts with a conversation. Ask the charity: What do you actually need? What can we realistically facilitate? Not what we assume they need. What they actually need. Here are five helpful alternatives to one-day per year volunteering: 1. Weekly telephone befriending calls: 30 minutes per week. Your employees enrich the lives of isolated and lonely people, all from their desk. Consider a local Age UK charity or similar. 2. Half-day monthly support: Regular, predictable help. Food banks. Clothes banks. Community gardening. Environmental cleanups. Charities can actually plan knowing you're coming. It means something. 3. Evening and weekend volunteering with TOIL: Let your employees volunteer when charities actually need them, such as weekend fundraising events. You give them time off in the week. Everyone wins. The charity gets help when it matters most. 4. Offer a set amount of paid hours a year for volunteering that can be used flexibly: Such as give employees 48 hours per year to offer a charity. Let an employee and charity plan volunteering around that. 5. Skilled volunteering: Send brains, not just bodies. Marketing. Website work. Legal. Strategy. Don't waste your employee's expertise on practical tasks alone. (Your finance director's knowledge is worth more than their ability to move boxes). This Volunteers Week, could you pitch one of these to your workplace? Or if you work for a charity, share what would actually help you most? I'll share five more alternative ideas tomorrow 🙌

Very recently, the Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld the right of a married female civil servant to change her domicile once during service for the purpose of direct recruitment. In a judgment grounded in constitutional values and gender equality, the Court held that a woman’s legal identity is not automatically tied to that of her husband. The Court powerfully observed: “A married woman retains the legal discretion, choice or agency to either adopt her husband’s domicile or retain her own.” Rejecting outdated doctrines of dependency, the Court interpreted service law through a gender-sensitive and purposive lens, aligning its reasoning with Pakistan’s constitutional guarantees under Articles 25(3), 34, and 35 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 and its international obligations. Crucially, the judgment reaffirms the Supreme Court’s role as the conscience of the Constitution, not merely a forum for legal adjudication, but a living institution that must respond to the realities and aspirations of society. Its judges are not passive interpreters of text, but custodians of liberty, equality, and institutional independence. Honoured to have assisted Hon'ble Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in advancing a more equitable and inclusive interpretation of service law, one that recognizes women as full constitutional citizens, endowed with agency, dignity and choice.

Meet people where they are. CSR is often built around a flagship: a volunteer day, a giving campaign, a service week. It makes sense, to center your communications around a signature event to drive engagement. It's industry best practice, focus activities and a campaign to have higher participation. People engage differently. Some have time. Some have money. Some want hands-on community experiences, while others are ready to lend professional skills or step into governance roles. That’s why the strongest CSR strategies are designed as a continuum of engagement opportunities: a range of ways employees can participate across a continuum from light-touch to deep commitment. A well-balanced program might include: 💸 Matching grants for employees who lead with financial support 🧤 One-day volunteer experiences for teams looking to connect and contribute 🌱 Mentoring and skills-based engagement for those ready to share expertise 💼 Board service for leaders seeking sustained, long-term impact When employees can select how to engage, based on interest, capacity, and season of life—participation increases, belonging deepens, and collective impact compounds. Inclusive CSR isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s how purpose becomes part of everyday work. By everyone, in their own way. #CSR #EmployeeEngagement #PurposeDriven #Inclusion

My proven 4-step playbook to turn one corporate sponsorship into a recurring annual partnership: Most nonprofits celebrate when they land a corporate sponsor. However there can be a harsh truth behind that success. One-off sponsorships are expensive to chase, hard to renew, and leave money on the table. Here’s how you turn that first sponsorship into a long-term, recurring partnership: Step 1: Start with shared metrics, not logos Most nonprofits focus on brand exposure (“your logo on our flyer”). Corporates care about ROI. A 2023 Edelman study found 81% of companies want measurable social impact outcomes from their giving. Instead of offering visibility, co-design metrics that align with their business goals (employee retention, customer trust, local engagement). Action: In your first meeting, ask: “Which KPIs matter most to your CSR/marketing team right now?” Then build your sponsorship around those. Step 2: Build the partnership inside the company, not just with one champion The #1 reason partnerships die? Your internal contact leaves. That’s why you must multi-thread relationships. Engage their HR, marketing, DEI, and CSR teams. Research by CECP shows companies with cross-department buy-in are 2.7x more likely to renew nonprofit partnerships. Action: Request an intro to at least 3 other stakeholders before the contract is signed. Your survival depends on it. Step 3: Report like an agency, not a nonprofit Too many nonprofits send an annual PDF report that no one reads. Corporates expect agency-level reporting: Clear visuals, outcomes tied to business goals, stories employees can share internally. According to B2B Institute data, 85% of decision makers renew vendors who provide clear ROI reports. Same applies here. Action: Send quarterly impact snapshots. Show how their $50K investment translated into X employees engaged, Y media impressions, Z lives impacted. Step 4: Secure the next year before this one ends Renewals don’t happen in December, they’re budgeted in Q3. McKinsey’s 2022 corporate philanthropy study found budgets are locked 6–9 months before year-end. If you wait until the gala’s over, you’re too late. Action: In month 6, host a “mid-year impact call.” Show results to date, pitch a bigger idea for year 2, and ask: “Should we earmark budget now for next year?” Bottom line: One sponsorship is a transaction. A recurring partnership is a revenue engine. If you align on metrics, build internal champions, report like an agency, and get ahead of their budget cycle, you stop chasing checks and start building a funding flywheel. With purpose and impact, Mario