Edith Molemans is Managing Director of employment law boutique firm Boontje Advocaten & Mediators. She has been connected to the firm throughout her entire career. In this interview, she explains why partnering with Lawyers for Lawyers was a logical and necessary choice for Boontje, and what personally moves her about the organisation’s mission.
Read the interview in Dutch here.
A lifetime in employment law
I have spent my entire professional career at Boontje Advocaten & Mediators. On 1 May, it has been exactly 24 years since I started here, and on 1 December our firm will celebrate its 25th anniversary. That is almost half of my life. Boontje was founded in 2001 as a spin-off from a medium-sized law firm that practised in several areas of law. In the years that followed, more specialised firms were established, and we became one of them: our firm focuses entirely on employment law.
I started as a lawyer and worked as an attorney for more than ten years. Today, I am the Managing Director, although I still combine that role with a small amount of legal work. What has motivated me all these years? I want to help people. That may sound simple, but in employment law that is exactly what you do. Whether it is a company facing difficult times or an individual standing alone, you can truly make a difference. I have never lost that feeling.
What makes Boontje special to me is the way we work together. As a lawyer, you are often ultimately responsible for a case, which can sometimes feel lonely. At our firm, you always know there is a colleague willing to think along, review your work, or simply dive into a matter together. That culture was already there when we had five lawyers, and we managed to maintain it as we have grown to more than twenty lawyers and forty people in total. That is what brings me to the office every day.
A no-brainer
Boontje started making small donations to Lawyers for Lawyers at an early stage, around 2005. Our official partnership came later. At one point, my colleague Pauline and I were discussing the organisations we work with and support, such as the Dutch Bar Association and the Young Bar. Then I suddenly thought: how is it possible that we are not yet an official partner of Lawyers for Lawyers?
For us, becoming a partner felt like the obvious thing to do. As a law firm, I believe we have a duty to support colleagues elsewhere in the world who do not enjoy the same freedoms we have here. It is not a great sacrifice; it is simply solidarity within our profession. We have now been an official partner for more than six years.
I also believe there are many other firms that would think exactly the same if they stopped and asked themselves: “Why are we not supporting this organisation?” There may still be a lot to gain in terms of awareness.
Practical involvement: Hoda’s case
Our commitment goes beyond financial support. Every year, Boontje takes part in the Dam tot Dam Run, an activity that does not take much time but helps raise awareness of Lawyers for Lawyers.
What I find especially meaningful is the substantive involvement we have developed over the past few years. We are working with a group of lawyers on the case of Hoda, an Egyptian lawyer who is currently imprisoned in Egypt. Her health condition is worrying. Together with Juliette from Lawyers for Lawyers, we are using an amicus letter and other legal instruments to draw attention to her situation.
Within our firm, one of our lawyers, Jessica, is in direct contact with Juliette. We have formed a small team consisting of lawyers from our own firm and from partner organisations, all working together on this case. In this way, we are genuinely involved in the work of Lawyers for Lawyers, not just on paper.
What moves me
Here at our office, we are free to focus on our profession. We discuss the latest developments in employment law, advise clients, and represent them in court. And yes, sometimes we complain about new legislation or complicated legal issues. But we do all of that in freedom.
What moves me is that there are lawyers elsewhere in the world who are trying to do exactly the same thing: defend people and stand up for a just cause. Yet they are treated as enemies by their own government or police. These are lawyers who are identified with the people they defend. By simply doing their job, they risk their own lives and, sometimes, the lives of their family members. That feels almost unreal. But it is reality.
40 years: inspiring and saddening
The 40th anniversary of Lawyers for Lawyers is something to be proud of. It is impressive that this Dutch initiative has become so successful internationally. At the same time, it is also a little sad.
I grew up believing that the world would become a better place. I thought that organisations like this would one day be needed less. That is not what I see today. Lawyers for Lawyers receives an overwhelming number of requests for help from an increasing number of countries, especially in today’s global climate. So on the one hand, you celebrate 40 years. On the other hand, you realise that the work is more urgent than ever.
I sometimes find it a strange feeling to contribute to a marketing strategy aimed at increasing awareness of the foundation in the Netherlands. Because, in an ideal world, it would not be necessary at all. But as long as it is necessary, I am grateful that there are people committed to keeping this organisation strong and visible.
To firms that are still hesitating
What would I say to firms that are not yet partners?
First, I believe lawyers have a moral duty to support colleagues who find themselves in a different and often more difficult position than their own, whatever the reason may be.
Second, you benefit from it yourself. By becoming involved in the work of Lawyers for Lawyers, you gain a broader perspective. You learn how legal systems function in other countries and how lawyers operate in different circumstances. That is valuable, both for you as a legal professional and for your firm.
Third, start small, if necessary, but start. From what I hear from younger lawyers in our firm, many want to contribute but do not always know how or where to begin. My advice to Lawyers for Lawyers would therefore be approach firms proactively with concrete projects. Do not just issue a general invitation. Instead, explain clearly what people can do and what is expected of them. People are much more likely to say yes when they know exactly what they are signing up for.
“I hope that ten years from now, Lawyers for Lawyers will have been able to help even more lawyers. Because I have no doubt that the organisation will still be needed then, perhaps even more than it is today.”
