“Marry a house-husband! A 1950s-style wife – someone to have dinner on the table!” Dinah Rose QC urges female barristers in an interview with Chambers Student published today…
The Blackstone silk, who has represented Julian Assange and a host of other big name clients, continues: “Marrying a male barrister is a disaster. They’ll always think that their cases are more important than yours and they’ll earn too much money and persuade you to give it up or go part-time.”
Rose confides during the interview that her husband, former TV producer Peter Kessler, is a vital source of support to her, having quit his job in 2005 – the year before she made silk – to raise the couple’s children full-time.
“He just lifted a huge burden of anxiety from me and really liberated me to focus on my career, and that’s an enormous gift to give someone,” she says.
Rose adds that many of the successful women she has known at the Bar have also been the primary breadwinners in their households.
The full interview is here.
UPDATE: Rose’s husband responds.