Improving access to minorities?

The percentage of solicitors with PCs from minority ethnic groups has doubled since 2000

‘Minority Group’: A Definition

Before we explore the improved accessibility to legal opportunities by UK minority groups, let’s define what being part of a Minority Group actually means. Defined as “a category of people differentiated from the social majority…The differentiation can be based on one or more observable human characteristics, including, but not limited to: ethnicity, race, religion, caste, gender, wealth, health or sexual orientation”.

The UK legal profession has diligently endeavoured to eradicate minority discrimination in all of its forms. Present day selection and success of practicing solicitors (PCs) focuses on educa-tion, training, intelligence, work ethic and productivity, both in practice group environments and through independent contribution.

PC Holders from BAME groups doubled since 2000

Notably, from 2000 to 2014, “The proportion of PC holders from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups more than doubled, rising from approximately 7% to 15%” of the total number of PCs, where BAME group women represented 16% (compared to 11.5% of BAME group men) of the total percentage of all solicitors with PCs, prompting the study to conclude that “Women outnumber men in all BAME groups – in contrast to White European solicitors”.

According to data collected and published by the Bar and the Bar Standards Board in Bar Barometer Trends in the Profile of the Bar prepared by Dr. Jennifer Sauboorah, from 2005/06 to 2009/10, “The biggest increase in the number of women practising at the Bar was be-tween 2005/06 and 2006/07. Growth at this time was 3.2% (156). The smallest increase in women practising at the Bar was seen in the years 2008/09 - 2009/10 when growth was 1.4% (76)”. Within that same time frame, BAME barristers comprised “almost 10% of the prac-tising profession”, the proportion of which “increased slightly from 9% to 10% over the past five years. This represents an average annualised increase in the number of BAME barristers of 2.8% over the period”.

Encouraging the growth of BAME lawyers

In October 2011, The Law Society launched “a programme of events throughout October aimed at encouraging BAME (Black Asian & Minority Ethnic) people considering a career in law as well as recognising the achievements of very talented individuals”, identifying and pro-moting that “The number of BAME lawyers carving out a career in the judiciary is increasing and a diverse judiciary is central to a fair and balanced justice system. Similarly, the legal pro-fession throughout needs to embrace diversity- from a social justice perspective and to effec-tively serve the needs of its client base”.

Improvements made but ‘still some way to go’

On February 12, 2013, The Law Society published a press release that summarized the devel-opments made by UK law firms in the arenas of inclusion and diversity and found that, out of the 177 Law Society's Diversity and Inclusion Charter signatories (The Diversity Charter is a high profile commitment by providers of legal services to pursue best practice on all aspects of diversity and inclusion across all areas of their business), “117 performed better on key diversity and inclusion metrics”. However, it was stated that, “Despite progress, there's still some way to go, with the partnership profile of most firms still showing under-representation of women, BAME, disabled and LGBT solicitors. The leadership of many firms are actively confronting this challenge”.

A landmark initiative was promulgated on March 18, 2015 with The Law Society’s launch of its Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division (EMLD), which provides opportunity for BAME members to receive support, advice on sustainable business practices, the exchange of ideas and a plat-form from which to “champion causes and tackle issues” in their respective communities, under the protective umbrella of The Law Society.

As recently as November 4, 2015, The Law Society touted the right of PCs to receive equal

pay for equal work across all genders and races. Although not a new concept, it is one that has been dusted off and pushed into the light as a strong reminder to human resources profes-sionals, partners and law firm operators in general, that they must continue to make a concert-ed effort to ensure equity. The press release serves as a strong reminder that equal pay is not a whim of fancy but a legal obligation. Apart from the gender pay gap, The Law Society ob-served that “there was also an 18 per cent pay gap between Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) private practitioners and their white counterparts. Although in this case it was found that ethnicity alone did not appear to be a significant determinant of pay earnings, the gap was potentially indicative of wider inequalities in employment faced by BAME solicitors (preventing access to higher paid jobs and legal practice areas)”.

In the preceding 15 years, the UK legal demographic has come a long way. As Robert Frost so aptly wrote, “I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep”. Fortitude, talent and an increasing awareness of the boundaries creates headways to erase them. The legal pro-fession has done well over 15 years and will continue to breach the barriers impeding equali-ty.

‘Minority Group’: A Definition

Before we explore the improved accessibility to legal opportunities by UK minority groups, let’s define what being part of a Minority Group actually means. Defined as “a category of people differentiated from the social majority…The differentiation can be based on one or more observable human characteristics, including, but not limited to: ethnicity, race, religion, caste, gender, wealth, health or sexual orientation”.

The UK legal profession has diligently endeavoured to eradicate minority discrimination in all of its forms. Present day selection and success of practicing solicitors (PCs) focuses on educa-tion, training, intelligence, work ethic and productivity, both in practice group environments and through independent contribution.

PC Holders from BAME groups doubled since 2000

Notably, from 2000 to 2014, “The proportion of PC holders from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups more than doubled, rising from approximately 7% to 15%” of the total number of PCs, where BAME group women represented 16% (compared to 11.5% of BAME group men) of the total percentage of all solicitors with PCs, prompting the study to conclude that “Women outnumber men in all BAME groups – in contrast to White European solicitors”.

According to data collected and published by the Bar and the Bar Standards Board in Bar Barometer Trends in the Profile of the Bar prepared by Dr. Jennifer Sauboorah, from 2005/06 to 2009/10, “The biggest increase in the number of women practising at the Bar was be-tween 2005/06 and 2006/07. Growth at this time was 3.2% (156). The smallest increase in women practising at the Bar was seen in the years 2008/09 - 2009/10 when growth was 1.4% (76)”. Within that same time frame, BAME barristers comprised “almost 10% of the prac-tising profession”, the proportion of which “increased slightly from 9% to 10% over the past five years. This represents an average annualised increase in the number of BAME barristers of 2.8% over the period”.

Encouraging the growth of BAME lawyers

In October 2011, The Law Society launched “a programme of events throughout October aimed at encouraging BAME (Black Asian & Minority Ethnic) people considering a career in law as well as recognising the achievements of very talented individuals”, identifying and pro-moting that “The number of BAME lawyers carving out a career in the judiciary is increasing and a diverse judiciary is central to a fair and balanced justice system. Similarly, the legal pro-fession throughout needs to embrace diversity- from a social justice perspective and to effec-tively serve the needs of its client base”.

Improvements made but ‘still some way to go’

On February 12, 2013, The Law Society published a press release that summarized the devel-opments made by UK law firms in the arenas of inclusion and diversity and found that, out of the 177 Law Society's Diversity and Inclusion Charter signatories (The Diversity Charter is a high profile commitment by providers of legal services to pursue best practice on all aspects of diversity and inclusion across all areas of their business), “117 performed better on key diversity and inclusion metrics”. However, it was stated that, “Despite progress, there's still some way to go, with the partnership profile of most firms still showing under-representation of women, BAME, disabled and LGBT solicitors. The leadership of many firms are actively confronting this challenge”.

A landmark initiative was promulgated on March 18, 2015 with The Law Society’s launch of its Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division (EMLD), which provides opportunity for BAME members to receive support, advice on sustainable business practices, the exchange of ideas and a plat-form from which to “champion causes and tackle issues” in their respective communities, under the protective umbrella of The Law Society.

As recently as November 4, 2015, The Law Society touted the right of PCs to receive equal

pay for equal work across all genders and races. Although not a new concept, it is one that has been dusted off and pushed into the light as a strong reminder to human resources profes-sionals, partners and law firm operators in general, that they must continue to make a concert-ed effort to ensure equity. The press release serves as a strong reminder that equal pay is not a whim of fancy but a legal obligation. Apart from the gender pay gap, The Law Society ob-served that “there was also an 18 per cent pay gap between Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) private practitioners and their white counterparts. Although in this case it was found that ethnicity alone did not appear to be a significant determinant of pay earnings, the gap was potentially indicative of wider inequalities in employment faced by BAME solicitors (preventing access to higher paid jobs and legal practice areas)”.

In the preceding 15 years, the UK legal demographic has come a long way. As Robert Frost so aptly wrote, “I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep”. Fortitude, talent and an increasing awareness of the boundaries creates headways to erase them. The legal pro-fession has done well over 15 years and will continue to breach the barriers impeding equali-ty.

‘Minority Group’: A Definition

Before we explore the improved accessibility to legal opportunities by UK minority groups, let’s define what being part of a Minority Group actually means. Defined as “a category of people differentiated from the social majority…The differentiation can be based on one or more observable human characteristics, including, but not limited to: ethnicity, race, religion, caste, gender, wealth, health or sexual orientation”.

The UK legal profession has diligently endeavoured to eradicate minority discrimination in all of its forms. Present day selection and success of practicing solicitors (PCs) focuses on educa-tion, training, intelligence, work ethic and productivity, both in practice group environments and through independent contribution.

PC Holders from BAME groups doubled since 2000

Notably, from 2000 to 2014, “The proportion of PC holders from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups more than doubled, rising from approximately 7% to 15%” of the total number of PCs, where BAME group women represented 16% (compared to 11.5% of BAME group men) of the total percentage of all solicitors with PCs, prompting the study to conclude that “Women outnumber men in all BAME groups – in contrast to White European solicitors”.

According to data collected and published by the Bar and the Bar Standards Board in Bar Barometer Trends in the Profile of the Bar prepared by Dr. Jennifer Sauboorah, from 2005/06 to 2009/10, “The biggest increase in the number of women practising at the Bar was be-tween 2005/06 and 2006/07. Growth at this time was 3.2% (156). The smallest increase in women practising at the Bar was seen in the years 2008/09 - 2009/10 when growth was 1.4% (76)”. Within that same time frame, BAME barristers comprised “almost 10% of the prac-tising profession”, the proportion of which “increased slightly from 9% to 10% over the past five years. This represents an average annualised increase in the number of BAME barristers of 2.8% over the period”.

Encouraging the growth of BAME lawyers

In October 2011, The Law Society launched “a programme of events throughout October aimed at encouraging BAME (Black Asian & Minority Ethnic) people considering a career in law as well as recognising the achievements of very talented individuals”, identifying and pro-moting that “The number of BAME lawyers carving out a career in the judiciary is increasing and a diverse judiciary is central to a fair and balanced justice system. Similarly, the legal pro-fession throughout needs to embrace diversity- from a social justice perspective and to effec-tively serve the needs of its client base”.

Improvements made but ‘still some way to go’

On February 12, 2013, The Law Society published a press release that summarized the devel-opments made by UK law firms in the arenas of inclusion and diversity and found that, out of the 177 Law Society's Diversity and Inclusion Charter signatories (The Diversity Charter is a high profile commitment by providers of legal services to pursue best practice on all aspects of diversity and inclusion across all areas of their business), “117 performed better on key diversity and inclusion metrics”. However, it was stated that, “Despite progress, there's still some way to go, with the partnership profile of most firms still showing under-representation of women, BAME, disabled and LGBT solicitors. The leadership of many firms are actively confronting this challenge”.

A landmark initiative was promulgated on March 18, 2015 with The Law Society’s launch of its Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division (EMLD), which provides opportunity for BAME members to receive support, advice on sustainable business practices, the exchange of ideas and a plat-form from which to “champion causes and tackle issues” in their respective communities, under the protective umbrella of The Law Society.

As recently as November 4, 2015, The Law Society touted the right of PCs to receive equal

pay for equal work across all genders and races. Although not a new concept, it is one that has been dusted off and pushed into the light as a strong reminder to human resources profes-sionals, partners and law firm operators in general, that they must continue to make a concert-ed effort to ensure equity. The press release serves as a strong reminder that equal pay is not a whim of fancy but a legal obligation. Apart from the gender pay gap, The Law Society ob-served that “there was also an 18 per cent pay gap between Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) private practitioners and their white counterparts. Although in this case it was found that ethnicity alone did not appear to be a significant determinant of pay earnings, the gap was potentially indicative of wider inequalities in employment faced by BAME solicitors (preventing access to higher paid jobs and legal practice areas)”.

In the preceding 15 years, the UK legal demographic has come a long way. As Robert Frost so aptly wrote, “I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep”. Fortitude, talent and an increasing awareness of the boundaries creates headways to erase them. The legal pro-fession has done well over 15 years and will continue to breach the barriers impeding equali-ty.

‘Minority Group’: A Definition

Before we explore the improved accessibility to legal opportunities by UK minority groups, let’s define what being part of a Minority Group actually means. Defined as “a category of people differentiated from the social majority…The differentiation can be based on one or more observable human characteristics, including, but not limited to: ethnicity, race, religion, caste, gender, wealth, health or sexual orientation”.

The UK legal profession has diligently endeavoured to eradicate minority discrimination in all of its forms. Present day selection and success of practicing solicitors (PCs) focuses on educa-tion, training, intelligence, work ethic and productivity, both in practice group environments and through independent contribution.

PC Holders from BAME groups doubled since 2000

Notably, from 2000 to 2014, “The proportion of PC holders from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups more than doubled, rising from approximately 7% to 15%” of the total number of PCs, where BAME group women represented 16% (compared to 11.5% of BAME group men) of the total percentage of all solicitors with PCs, prompting the study to conclude that “Women outnumber men in all BAME groups – in contrast to White European solicitors”.

According to data collected and published by the Bar and the Bar Standards Board in Bar Barometer Trends in the Profile of the Bar prepared by Dr. Jennifer Sauboorah, from 2005/06 to 2009/10, “The biggest increase in the number of women practising at the Bar was be-tween 2005/06 and 2006/07. Growth at this time was 3.2% (156). The smallest increase in women practising at the Bar was seen in the years 2008/09 - 2009/10 when growth was 1.4% (76)”. Within that same time frame, BAME barristers comprised “almost 10% of the prac-tising profession”, the proportion of which “increased slightly from 9% to 10% over the past five years. This represents an average annualised increase in the number of BAME barristers of 2.8% over the period”.

Encouraging the growth of BAME lawyers

In October 2011, The Law Society launched “a programme of events throughout October aimed at encouraging BAME (Black Asian & Minority Ethnic) people considering a career in law as well as recognising the achievements of very talented individuals”, identifying and pro-moting that “The number of BAME lawyers carving out a career in the judiciary is increasing and a diverse judiciary is central to a fair and balanced justice system. Similarly, the legal pro-fession throughout needs to embrace diversity- from a social justice perspective and to effec-tively serve the needs of its client base”.

pay for equal work across all genders and races. Although not a new concept, it is one that has been dusted off and pushed into the light as a strong reminder to human resources profes-sionals, partners and law firm operators in general, that they must continue to make a concert-ed effort to ensure equity. The press release serves as a strong reminder that equal pay is not a whim of fancy but a legal obligation. Apart from the gender pay gap, The Law Society ob-served that “there was also an 18 per cent pay gap between Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) private practitioners and their white counterparts. Although in this case it was found that ethnicity alone did not appear to be a significant determinant of pay earnings, the gap was potentially indicative of wider inequalities in employment faced by BAME solicitors (preventing access to higher paid jobs and legal practice areas)”.

In the preceding 15 years, the UK legal demographic has come a long way. As Robert Frost so aptly wrote, “I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep”. Fortitude, talent and an increasing awareness of the boundaries creates headways to erase them. The legal pro-fession has done well over 15 years and will continue to breach the barriers impeding equali-ty.