Changing Opportunities for Partnership for Men and Women Lawyers During the Transformation of the Modern Law Firm

Considerable controversy surrounds partnership in law firms, particularly regarding the possibility of systematic gender bias and discrimination. This article contributes to the existing literature by considering explanations of women\u27s under-representation in partnerships within the historical context of changes in the structure of law practice. Such changes include transitions in the organization and scale of contemporary law firms, the emergence of branch offices and international markets, the diversification of recruitment practices and mobility routes through modified firm hierarchies, and rising expectations of billable hours. Using a survey of over 1,000 lawyers in Ontario law firms, the authors examine opportunities for partnership in terms of individual resources, firm characteristics, economic climate, and women\u27s representation in law practice. The findings of this study reveal a profession undergoing rapid structural transformation involving reduced partnership opportunities for women and men, with women faring worse than men in this competition. The authors assess causes of this gender disparity and suggest policy recommendations toward the achievement of gender equality in law firms

Changing Opportunities for Partnership for Men and Women Lawyers During the Transformation of the Modern Law Firm

Considerable controversy surrounds partnership in law firms, particularly regarding the possibility of systematic gender bias and discrimination. This article contributes to the existing literature by considering explanations of women\u27s under-representation in partnerships within the historical context of changes in the structure of law practice. Such changes include transitions in the organization and scale of contemporary law firms, the emergence of branch offices and international markets, the diversification of recruitment practices and mobility routes through modified firm hierarchies, and rising expectations of billable hours. Using a survey of over 1,000 lawyers in Ontario law firms, the authors examine opportunities for partnership in terms of individual resources, firm characteristics, economic climate, and women\u27s representation in law practice. The findings of this study reveal a profession undergoing rapid structural transformation involving reduced partnership opportunities for women and men, with women faring worse than men in this competition. The authors assess causes of this gender disparity and suggest policy recommendations toward the achievement of gender equality in law firms

Children's human rights under COVID-19: learning from children's rights impact assessments

Policy responses to COVID-19 have had dramatic impacts on children’s human rights, as much as the COVID-19 pandemic itself. In the rush to protect the human right of survival and development, new policies and their implementation magnified the challenges of taking a children’s rights approach in adult-oriented systems and institutions. This article explores these challenges, drawing on learning from the independent Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) on policies affecting children in Scotland during ‘lockdown’ in spring 2020. The article uses concepts from childhood studies and legal philosophy to highlight issues for children’s human rights, in such areas as children in conflict with the law, domestic abuse, poverty and digital exclusion. The analysis uncovers how persistent constructions of children as vulnerable and best protected in their families led to systematic disadvantages for certain groups of children and failed to address all of children’s human rights to protection, provision and participation. The independent CRIA illuminates gaps in rights’ accountability, such as the lack of children’s rights indicators and disaggregated data, children’s inadequate access to complaints and justice, and the need for improved information to and participation of children.Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Onlin

Mass spectrometric characterisation of the circulating peptidome following oral glucose ingestion in control and gastrectomised patients.

RATIONALE: Meal ingestion triggers secretion of a variety of gut and endocrine peptides important in diabetes research which are routinely measured by immunoassays. However, similarities between some peptides (glucagon, oxyntomodulin and glicentin) can cause specificity issues with immunoassays. We used a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) methodology to unambiguously monitor multiple gut peptides in human plasma. METHODS: A simple acetonitrile-based protein precipitation step, followed by evaporation and solid-phase extraction, removed high-abundance proteins from samples prior to nano-LC/MS/MS analysis on an Orbitrap Q-Exactive Plus mass spectrometer using a data-dependent methodology. Database searching using PEAKS identified multiple gut-derived peptides, including peptides in the mid-pg/mL range. The relative levels of these and previously characterised peptides were assessed in plasma samples from gastrectomised and control subjects during an oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: Analysis of plasma extracts revealed significantly elevated levels of a number of peptides following glucose ingestion in subjects who had undergone gastrectomy compared with controls. These included GLP-1(7-36), GLP-1(9-36), glicentin, oxyntomodulin, GIP(1-42), GIP(3-42), PYY(1-36), PYY(3-36), neurotensin, insulin and C-peptide. Motilin levels decreased following glucose ingestion. Results showed good correlation with immunoassay-derived concentrations of some peptides in the same samples. The gastrectomy group also had higher, but non-glucose-dependent, circulating levels of peptides from PIGR and DMBT1. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the approach showed that a fast, generic and reproducible LC/MS/MS methodology requiring only a small volume of plasma was capable of the multiplexed detection of a variety of diabetes-related peptides.Wellcome Trust and MR

The Human and Mouse Islet Peptidome: Effects of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, and Assessment of Intraislet Production of Glucagon-like Peptide-1.

To characterize the impact of metabolic disease on the peptidome of human and mouse pancreatic islets, LC-MS was used to analyze extracts of human and mouse islets, purified mouse alpha, beta, and delta cells, supernatants from mouse islet incubations, and plasma from patients with type 2 diabetes. Islets were obtained from healthy and type 2 diabetic human donors, and mice on chow or high fat diet. All major islet hormones were detected in lysed islets as well as numerous peptides from vesicular proteins including granins and processing enzymes. Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) was not detectable. High fat diet modestly increased islet content of proinsulin-derived peptides in mice. Human diabetic islets contained increased content of proglucagon-derived peptides at the expense of insulin, but no evident prohormone processing defects. Diabetic plasma, however, contained increased ratios of proinsulin and des-31,32-proinsulin to insulin. Active GLP-1 was detectable in human and mouse islets but 100-1000-fold less abundant than glucagon. LC-MS offers advantages over antibody-based approaches for identifying exact peptide sequences, and revealed a shift toward islet insulin production in high fat fed mice, and toward proglucagon production in type 2 diabetes, with no evidence of systematic defective prohormone processing

Organoid Sample Preparation and Extraction for LC-MS Peptidomics.

This protocol describes the peptidomic analysis of organoid lysates, FACS-purified cell populations, and 2D culture secretions by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Currently, most peptides are quantified by ELISA, limiting the peptides that can be studied. However, an LC-MS-based approach allows more peptides to be monitored. Our group has previously used LC-MS for tissue peptidomics and secretion of enteroendocrine peptides from primary culture. Now, we extend the use to organoid models. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Goldspink et al. (2020)