It's time for the law 'to lead by example

The legal profession in England and Wales is often perceived as ‘pale, male, and stale’, lacking in diversity in terms of gender, race, and socio-economic background, particularly at the top of the profession. Many firms are beginning to address this issue with schemes such as flexible working for parents and ‘blind CVs’. 

The Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme provides funding for students, like us, who would otherwise be unable to afford the legal practice course (LPC). Diversity is an important issue, and has tangible benefits, therefore it is essential that such efforts are not only maintained, but adopted more widely and expanded on to ensure that the legal profession can reap the benefits of a diverse workforce.

Diversity is important for a number of reasons. A successful legal practice is dependent on its ability to understand its clients and accommodate their needs: a diverse workforce enables greater understanding of different cultures, customs, and perspectives. Further, the legal world is highly competitive, fast paced, and ever changing. A diverse workforce facilitates different ideas, increasing responsiveness and giving a competitive advantage.

A diverse environment also builds better lawyers, as individuals from different backgrounds can learn from each other’s skills and build on their weaknesses. Equality and inclusiveness creates a more enjoyable working environment. Law is a highly regarded profession and it is important that lawyers lead by example and promote a good public image of social responsibility.

Obstacles to the law

Unfortunately, there are many obstacles to overcome in order to enter the legal profession for those from a non-traditional background. At graduate level, many firms place great emphasis on A-level grades and the university attended; however, this can lead to bias in favour of more privileged candidates. We have both felt overlooked as a result of the emphasis placed on earlier grades, though both of us feel that at times we were unable to reach our true potential academically due to other commitments.

Students from deprived backgrounds sometimes contend with disruptive home lives, a lack of support and guidance, and a lower standard of education, as well as financial constraints. Financial pressures and the lack of professional networks and advice may impact negatively on their ability to gain work experience, which is often unpaid.

Disruptive home lives, a lack of guidance, and financial limitations are issues that we have both had to overcome, and feel may have had a negative impact on the strength of our CVs. Having to support ourselves financially through our degrees and our LPCs limits the amount of time we have for studying and extra-curricular activities.

Valuable experience

Candidates from non-traditional backgrounds may appear less appealing on paper, and due to a lack of training may be less polished in interviews than their more privileged counterparts, but firms would be wise to look past these first impressions.

Our determination, resilience, and passion to pursue a career in law demonstrates our commitment to the profession. We both remained determined to study the LPC despite having no means to fund it, and eventually gained scholarships through the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme. Such determination and passion stands us in good stead for the challenges of such a demanding career. The ability to integrate into a profession that is traditionally not very diverse also demonstrates adaptability, another attribute that is highly valuable to a firm.

Further, law is a client service sector, and non-legal work experience can equip students with many transferable skills. We have both had extensive experience working in customer-facing roles:  Tara has worked in hospitality and catering from the age of 13 and has had experience being self-employed; Olivia has had experience in retail since the age of 16, even reaching managerial level at a flagship store. This work has equipped us with client care skills and a strong sense of how businesses operate. We are experienced in working in high-pressure environments, and know how to think on our feet and respond to unforeseen challenges.

Firms should be open minded when it comes to their requirements. Giving candidates from different socio-economic backgrounds a chance to prove themselves, whether through work experience or training contracts, will benefit firms, and the legal profession as a whole, in the long run.

Olivia Wint and Tara Woodward are 2015 Diversity Access Scheme awardees @TheLawSociety www.lawsociety.org.uk