Strike balance between work, family – Justice Odilli tells female lawyers

Tina Amanda

Retired Justice Mary Odili has encouraged female lawyers in the state to remain resilient in confronting any situation that may arise while balancing their career, family and work.

Retired Justice Odilli stated this while delivering her keynote speech during a seminar for female Lawyers, with the theme: “Build me up – Balancing Career, Family and Work”, organised by FIDA Rivers State in Port Harcourt.

She urged the female lawyers not to give in to unnecessary distractions over things that are not substantial but be focused on their career, family and work pursuits.

“I encourage you to be focused and not give up; any confrontation, you should not back off but rather confront it, and by God’s grace, you will prevail.

“Focus and hard work is the so that nobody will hold you to ransom”.

Chief Judge of Rivers State High Court and Chairman of the occasion, Justice Simeon Amadi, who Justice Kio ably represented, said that as much as work and family is enormous, the two most crucial area of human life must be balanced.

“The work requirements and family responsibilities could be enormous, especially in a male-dominated profession of ours, as a result of the enormity of a lawyer’s work.

“Children and parents tend to have lesser communication and conversation due to parents’ work and career. I am delighted that you have carefully chosen a keynote speaker and other distinguished speakers who have balanced their jobs, family and work.

“At the end of the seminar, it should provide the antidote to strike a balance between career, family and work”.

Chairperson International Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA Rivers State, Adata Bio-Briggs, said the seminar is part of their five years strategic goal to mentor women, not just female lawyers alone, but every career female in the state.

“One of our packages is mentoring because we have realized a need to mentor female lawyers and professionals.

“We need to learn how to balance our career, family and work; there is always this clash in balancing them, which is why we decided to have women who have done it successfully.

“We must have this balance because we must be successful as women and get to the top of our careers. There is always this struggle for family, career and all, so we need to learn from those who have done it; that was the essence of the seminar”.