Gatehouse Chambers property and probate silk Brie Stevens-Hoare KC on coming out, fitting in and how the profession needs to continue to push back against toxic narratives
For International Women’s Day, Stephenson Harwood Europe private client partner Suzanne Johnston talks about creating inclusive fertility policies and educating staff on the sensitive issues at play. Continue reading “‘There needs to be education’ – raising awareness of infertility and baby loss in the legal sector”
For International Women’s Day, Vinson & Elkins Europe head of international disputes Louise Woods discusses how her firm has created a more inclusive workplace for staff facing fertility issues and baby loss. Continue reading “‘There is more understanding now’ – how firms are supporting staff with fertility challenges”
BCLP global inclusion and diversity client relationship partner Daisy Reeves on why the UK can’t rest on its laurels in the fight for inclusion and the role Big Law needs to play in change.
What was your experience like coming out in the professional world and were there any challenges you faced? Continue reading “Pride Month 2023: ‘There is a real risk we are retrenching the hard-fought rights of our LGBTQ+ populations’”
Allen & Overy DE&I ambassador Justin Farrance on the challenges still facing the City law LGBTQ+ community and how social media can drive change.
You use social media as a key platform for advocating for LGBTQ+ representation – what led you to start doing this? Continue reading “Pride Month 2023: ‘I was told that I needed to tone my “gayness” down in order to be successful’”
Old Square Chambers’ employment and discrimination barrister Robin White talks to Amy Ulliott about transitioning at the Bar, the need for visible role models and why the official gender recognition process needs to change
Did you find it easy to come out at work, and were there any particular barriers that you faced? Continue reading “Pride Month 2023: ‘Most clients don’t care whether you’re black, pink, green, red with blue spots, LGBTQ+ or not – they just want someone to win the case’”
‘There is such a sense that we need to walk the walk. More so than I’ve ever seen before. This has captured the attention of many senior management partners. People are now taking ESG and diversity and inclusion as seriously as anything else in the firm.’
The view of Doug Bryden, Travers Smith’s head of risk and operational regulatory, certainly chimes with attitudes to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) imperatives held by senior corporate lawyers interviewed for our inaugural ESG report. Continue reading “We good corporate citizens – ESG report”
Clydes, HSF, Freshfields and White & Case arbitration partners among new QCs
A record 22 applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds have been elevated to Queen’s Counsel (QC) in the latest round from a total 114 taking silk. But while the overall number of new silks is up 6% from 108 last year, the number of female applicants fell slightly. Continue reading “Record year for ethnic minorities in latest silk round but number of female applicants falls”
Starbucks has a fundamental business tenet that we are creating a welcoming place for all people, and that means inclusion and diversity is critical to our success. We provide inclusion training and tools to managers to ensure we are preparing all leaders to foster a diverse culture based on merit. Continue reading “Different strokes – Three perspectives in championing diversity in corporate America”
The good news is that up close the reality turns out to be not as awful as the cynics have feared. After all, for years the profession has avoided a frontal discussion of its record on ethnic diversity, choosing to submerge the topic within the umbrella of diversity and inclusion even as law firms became more intent on selling their progressive credentials.
And in fairness, avoiding that debate has been as much about a general British reticence to tackle issues of race head on with commentators and the media often treading with excessive delicacy in such matters. Still, the end result has been little frank discussion, certainly compared to the increasingly forthright debate on the profession’s record on female representation and retention or tackling social mobility. Continue reading “Comment: Less dire than expected but profession may yet squander influx of BAME lawyers”
