Unveiling the Strategic Role of Diversity in UK Law Firms

Jan 30, 2024

Written By Georgia Purcell

The legal profession has progressed from the historic views of lawyers without empathy to the more personable role required today, with clients expecting empathy, sympathy, and an understanding of diverse perspectives. Success is no longer defined purely by cases won, but by the innovation, adaptability, and understanding of certain firms or lawyers. With this shift in public opinion comes the challenge for the legal field: move away from tokenism and commit to a genuine dedication to inclusivity.

Diversity as a catalyst for innovation and problem-solving

Innovation is a cornerstone of successful law firms. Diversity and innovation go hand in hand: a diverse array of people with different experiences, insights, and strengths allows a firm to forge new paths and view historic problems in new ways. Law firms are constantly striving to stand out from the crowd, and the ones who are embracing these new ways of working are the ones who stand out to both clients and lawyers.

Management consulting company McKinsey & Company published data suggesting a link between diversity across all levels of staff and improved organisational performance. Those in the top quarter for ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their national industry average. Thus, increasing diversity goes hand in hand with increasing profits.

Alongside the obvious benefits of increasing diversity at firms, taking part in schemes and initiatives such as PRIME and The Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme allows a firm to expand its pool of potential trainees by advertising and offering support to students who perhaps wouldn’t apply otherwise.

Diversity is not just a checkbox for law firms to tick, it’s a vital part of the functioning of the firm and the only way we can keep up with the demands of a modern society.

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Attracting diverse talent

Creating a diverse firm starts with recruiting people from all different walks of life. Firms have started to expand their recruitment process by offering different entries into the profession: some firms are offering internships or mentoring opportunities specifically for those from underrepresented groups

Many firms are removing their grade requirements and introducing a blind CV policy, taking steps to remove the unconscious bias previously found in trainee recruitment. Systems like the Rare recruitment tool help firms find trainees from disadvantaged backgrounds, by comparing how well an applicant did compared to their cohort rather than compared to the country.

Initiatives like the 10000 Black Interns Foundation work alongside firms and barrister chambers to encourage people into a career in law. Such partnerships increase the likelihood of firms attracting candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Creating inclusive organisational cultures in law firms

Open days and online talks are a great opportunity to find out what diversity initiatives a firm you’re applying to has. Many firms have teams who work on improving diversity and inclusion, and often these teams will be happy to chat about the steps they take to develop an inclusive atmosphere at the firm.

There are also UK groups like the Women Lawyers Division and the Black Solicitors Network that support aspiring lawyers through their legal careers, aiming to challenge systemic barriers.

Diversifying leadership

Diversity in leadership has a long way to go. The SRA found that 32% of full-equity partners (the highest level of partner) in law firms are women, 13% are Asian, and 3% are Black. 25% of full-equity partners in large firms attended fee-paying schools, which is a big difference from the 7.5% of the UK population who went to a fee-paying school.

According to the SRA, firms with diverse leadership are able to better react to market changes, benefit from creative problem-solving and achieve higher customer satisfaction. Thus, it makes financial and commercial sense for firms to come up with targeted initiatives to diversify their leadership.

Overcoming challenges

Law firms are encouraged to share their diversity data, but some still don’t disclose this information. A transparent diversity statement is key to encouraging a range of young lawyers to join the firm, as more and more people from a range of backgrounds try to find themselves represented in a firm before applying there.

Tracking the data of a firm allows their progression to social equality to be measured, and a firm that publishes this progression is able to show the active changes they are making towards equality. This then encourages a range of students to apply.

Future trends and best practices in leveraging diversity

As diversity and inclusion remains such a large talking point in society, it follows that firms with a good reputation for equality and diversity will encourage more clients and lawyers. With awards such as the UK Diversity Legal Awards, firms who are taking the time to implement strategies to further diversity have their efforts recognised and rewarded.

Conclusion

The legal profession is constantly changing and advancing in new and better ways, and the role of diversity is one that’s followed along with this change. We’re starting to see the role diversity plays within law firms as a strategic asset, with financial and social benefits for the lawyer and firm. The traditional way we’ve viewed success is changing, and, with the changing dynamics of the legal field, embracing diversity is essential for continued excellence.

Diversity