Still Ambitious: Law, Motherhood & The Perception Problem with Hannah & Sarah

In this episode of If You Ask Me, we speak about maternity leave, returning to work and what it really takes to keep moving toward partnership in law.We reflect on how becoming mothers changed the way we were seen professionally and how those shifts are often subtle rather than explicit. The expectations that appear on return. The assumptions that are made about ambition, availability and commitment. And the gap between how legal careers are meant to work on paper and how they often feel in practice.Our own experiences as employment lawyers, and later as founders of BlueSky, shaped these reflections. We saw first-hand how many women struggle to name what feels different after maternity leave, even when their capability and drive remain unchanged.In this episode, we reflect on:What maternity leave and return to work felt like for usHow perceptions can change once women become mothersWhy progression toward partnership can feel more uncertain after leaveThe structural challenges that sit inside legal career frameworksWhat we have learned from coaching women navigating return and progressionWhat genuinely supports women who want to keep moving forwardThis conversation is honest and reflective. It is about law, about motherhood, and about what it takes to sustain a long and meaningful legal career after maternity leave.Host: Sarah Lyons, Founding Director of BlueSkyHost: Hannah Bradshaw, Founding Director of BlueSky