The Research Unit for Legal and Constitutional Interpretation (RULCI) together with the Faculty of Law is hosting a day of reflection, poetry and art on the 13th of April from 11:00 - 15:00 in honour of the late Drucilla Cornell, profound ethical feminist, legal theorist and author.

In one of her many books, Between generations. Legacies of dignity (2005) Cornell recalls how her mother’s wish to become a lawyer, something that was not possible for women of her generation, was fulfilled when Cornell studied law and became a lawyer. In the very first paragraph of the book, she remembers a conversation with her grandmother: ‘My grandmother was not much of a talker, or much of a moralist, but she constantly repeated one lesson to me … “Every woman has dignity, no matter what her station in life.”’

While honouring Cornell’s legacy we stand still also to mark the 100th year anniversary of women’s admittance to the legal profession. In the vein of Cornell who insisted on women’s equality and dignity to be recognized ‘beyond accommodation’ we use this opportunity not as mere celebration but also as a way to raise some questions. For example, have women ever been (or will we ever be) admitted fully to the legal profession? We ask also if the presence of women have made any real difference to the legal profession, have women destabilized, challenged patriarchy, or have they been co-opted?