Why Diversity in Law Matters More Than Ever

By Abigail Wonga.

Reading time: three minutes

As the legal field grows more competitive for aspiring students, graduates, career changers and many more candidates, the legal world must become open to promoting accessibility for all. This means greater representation of race, gender, ethnic background, social and physical mobility, sexuality, etc. According to the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA), 19% of lawyers are from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background, up from 18% in 2021, of which: 12% are Asian. 3% are Black. 3% are from a Mixed/Multiple background. Despite the increase of lawyers being from a minority ethnic background, the legal profession has yet to present diversity in law firms’ workforce consistently. In this article, I will be discussing why diversity in law matters more than ever.

The term DE&I is used to describe policies and programmes that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures, and sexual orientation.

For Businesses

The world of business is changing and law firms are thinking more about diversity and how it can benefit their business. There are several ways in which both businesses and law firms are inspired by diversity in the world of work. This includes strengthening their reputation, identifying barriers (such as social and economic) that prevent the development of all available talent, showing their commitment to diversity and identifying problems early when faced by costly discrimination claims.

This month, global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer on Social Mobility Week in the UK announced its wider commitments to inclusion and equality. ‘’Across the 2024 – 2026 recruitment cycles, the firm will aim to recruit at least 20% of trainees from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This target seeks to increase the social diversity of the current trainee population positioning the firm among the first few to publish a specific target and the first to commit to 20% of the trainee population.’’

Firms like Freshfields which continue to advocate for initiatives beneficial for communities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds are a testament to the direction the legal world is taking and businesses.

In the workplace

The strength of a good team resorts to hearing the different perspectives of colleagues. In this sense, law firms can hold a stronger reputation when the firm holds a position on fostering inclusivity. This is due to the underrepresentation in leadership roles within law. The 1% study report revealed out of 13,000 partners at England and Wales law firms, only 90 partners are black. Black people make up 3.5% of the population in England and Wales however other minority ethnic backgrounds e.g. Asians, make up 7.5% and yet are more likely to become partners at a law firm in contrast to Black lawyers. Underrepresentation demotivates aspiring lawyers from disadvantaged backgrounds to commit to the career. Diversity in law firms mobilises aspiring lawyers, current trainees and qualified lawyers alike to promote inclusivity whilst combat systemic inequalities in the profession, as it has been reported that black lawyers feel as though they are ‘outsiders’, not having the same access to their non-black counterparts, receiving less quality work and harsher scrutiny and having trouble to assimilate in the legal world.

How can law firms improve diversity and inclusion?

Creating a space for inclusivity in the workplace will take time and is not an overnight progress. Law firms that prioritise initiatives on increasing DE&I stand in a better position to address the diverse needs of their clients, as they come from various walks of life. The first step in being successful in this has been made evident by The Law Society, as establishing a purpose. By doing this, law firms will be able to communicate, review and refine their DE&I strategies and actions. 

My opinion

As an aspiring barrister, accessibility to such a profession can be met with elitism, hindering a person’s chances of commitment. I know that diversity in law matters more than ever as the law should be reflective of today’s society. Diversity for business and in the workplace should be more than just achieving targets commercially, it should be achieving targets in socioeconomically, culturally and racial terms. Strong candidates originate from an array of backgrounds which make them special. Law firms should be taking on board actions to help dismantle the systemic issues placed in the legal industry for a long time to help amplify the voices of those and increase representation.