INFORMATION IN ENGLISH

The Norwegian Female Lawyers' Association, or Norske Kvinnelige Juristers Forening, (with the short form NKJF), was founded May 12, 1947, to create a supportive forum for the handful of Norwegian female lawyers then entering, or trying to enter, a very male-dominated working society in the field of law. At NKJF’s 50th anniversary, speakers referred to these times as Cambrium Silur, the Ice age, etc., being very reluctant and hostile to the thought of employing females as lawyers. Even in the 1970’ies, female secretaries for law committees were not wanted – "the secretary was to carry the suitcases of the chairman, you see", - and the thought of travelling together and stay at hotels -! District court judges frequently turned down female applicants for the Judge-Assistant position, preferring male candidates with considerably weaker exam-results.

In 1997 the 50tieth anniversary were celebrated by investigating the present position of female lawyers and jurists in Norway. We have come a long way – and we still have a way to go. Many male leaders, aged 40 in the 70ies, are now aged 60 and not showing such progress in thought that is expected by the generations educated in the 90ies. This has led to a renewed interest in the NKJF organization as a supportive forum for females only, working in the law field. At present we have approximately 300 members from all over Norway.

The present leadership of the organization sees the NKJF primarily as a meetingplace for discussing law and themes related to our profession. And as a meetingplace to promote personal contact with other female jurists from government agencies, the police, the courts, in law firms and other firms and private practices across the country. To meet this goal, local branches of NKJF have been established in Stavanger and Bergen.