Saudi female lawyers are asking the Justice Ministry to issue them licenses to practice law, act as representatives and represent clients at courts. Many of them also dream of starting private legal firms in their own names. The current law doesn't allow them to open law offices in their names which is real obstacle for recent graduates of law departments in the Kingdom. And so it is, that despite their training these women have no other choice but to search for work at consultation offices, businesses and banks. Some female lawyers, interviewed by Asharq newspaper, say that the Ministry of Justice is on the right path as Saudi women desperately need their services. Wahi Luqman, chairwoman of law department at Dar Al-Hekma College in Jeddah, said graduates of law departments can work as legal consultants at businesses and banks. “The ministry's decision to allow us to practice as representatives does not allow women to start their law offices. We demand that the ministry grant us law licenses to practice as lawyers.” She says that Saudi women need female lawyers to take care of their cases and protect their rights. Amna Shekhawi, chairwoman of law department at Prince Sultan University, said that before the ministry's decision female lawyers could only work as legal consultants and their tasks were limited to writing defenses and preparing case files. “The term ‘representative' deprives women of their right to have their own legal offices. However, I'm optimistic that the Justice Ministry will issue a decision which grants women the right to practice law and have their own offices. But this will take time.” Haneen Salah Al-Hujailan, who has a masters in law from abroad, said female lawyers are on the right track especially after the opening of law departments in some Saudi universities. “In the past, I couldn't study law here, but today girls can do that. This is a positive sign that we're on the right track,” she said. The ministry's decision has given female lawyers hopes that one day they will be able to obtain license to practice law as lawyers and women will be able to practice as real lawyers and not just legal consultants. However, Al-Hujailan still demands her right as a Saudi lawyer to be granted a license to practice law. She is not the only one disappointed with the ministry's slow progress. Hind Al-Saif, a lawyer, was dissatisfied with the Justice Minister's decision regarding the opening of reconciliation and dispute resolution centers. She believes this decision seeks to delay a decision to grant women license to practice law. “Unfortunately, women are not being recognized as partners in public issues, especially legal ones. Why is the ministry procrastinating on taking such a step?” King Saud University law student Hala Al-Sudairi hopes to specialize in a field that serves women's issues such as personal status cases. She maintains that women need female lawyers because women find it difficult to talk to men about their cases and things become easier for them when they talk to female lawyers. She also hopes that the ministry soon grants female lawyers licenses to practice law before she graduates. Increasing number of female law graduates are becoming vocal in their demand to practice law. Last year, a group of female Saudi lawyers launched a campaign called “I'm a female lawyer” on Facebook and demanded that the ministry grant them the license to practice law.
