Two enthusiastic law students held a networking lunch for women in the legal field at a popular Bradford café.

Rukhsar Jahangir and Maryam Razzaq, two women who want to make a difference in the world of law, teamed up for Bradford’s first networking lunch.

The event was held last Saturday, June 10,  at Vanilla Rooms, Bradford, and was attended by 30 people, from different backgrounds and ethnicities as well as different areas of the industry.

Rukhsar, from Bingley, who is a law student at the University of Huddersfield, said: “The event was amazing.

“It was better than I thought it would be.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Ladies from across Yorkshire come together for Bradford's first law networking lunch. Image: UGCLadies from across Yorkshire come together for Bradford's first law networking lunch. Image: UGC (Image: UGC)

“There are so many barriers that are overlooked when planning networking events, so we tried to make it as accessible as possible and we got some really talented women such as Sarah Khan-Bashir and Asma Iqbal to the event which was really great.”

The purpose of the event was to inspire and bring together people from different backgrounds who may not get the opportunity to network with others due to barriers such as travel and their family lives.

Rukhsar has made her mark in the field as someone who champions diversity in Law and has secured a scholarship to study her barrister course.

She said: “A lot of women have come to me and told me about their personal struggles and how they can’t get to networking events, so we decided this was something we could do.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Maryam Razzaq, Sarah Khan-Bashir and Rukhsar Jahangir. Image: UGCMaryam Razzaq, Sarah Khan-Bashir and Rukhsar Jahangir. Image: UGC (Image: UGC)

“It’s things like not being allowed to travel to the events that were being held in Manchester and others couldn’t afford to pay, so we really tried to accommodate for them.

“We got the venue for free because the owners were so proud of what we were doing and then it was pay for what you eat.”

The event brought together Solicitors, Lawyers, Paralegals and Barristers from across Yorkshire.

Rukhsar said: “We had an invitation policy and we had people from London asking if they could come along, but we had to say no.”

Maryam Razzaq, the co-organiser, said: “I didn’t have much support or guidance in the legal field, and seeing a lack of opportunities for South Asian, I wanted to do something to give back.

“It was a really good opportunity and I’m glad we were able to collaborate on this.”