Research highlights barriers to diversity in legal profession

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has released a comprehensive study revealing the entrenched barriers to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the legal profession. This research, accompanied by a report on the judicial diversity pipeline, sheds light on the challenges faced in creating a more inclusive legal landscape.

Nick Emmerson, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, welcomed the findings, emphasising the importance of the research in visualising the complex factors that hinder diversity in the profession. "The systems map provided by the LSB offers a clear representation of the structural, cultural, and personal barriers that interact to limit inclusion," Emmerson said. He also highlighted the Law Society's Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Framework as a valuable tool for firms and organisations aiming to implement lasting changes in their approach to diversity.

The research underscores the slow progress in achieving judicial diversity, a concern echoed by Nick Emmerson. Despite solicitors constituting half of judicial applicants last year, barristers remain more likely to be recommended for judicial positions, with senior appointments still dominated by men from non-state school backgrounds. This mirrors the situation identified in a 2014 report, showing little change over the years.

Nick Emmerson expressed disappointment at the ongoing lack of diversity in King's Counsel appointments, which are still predominantly awarded to white male barristers. He called for a thorough evaluation of recent efforts to improve the judicial diversity pipeline and stressed the urgency of addressing the barriers identified by the research.

The Law Society plans to continue its collaboration with the Judicial Diversity Forum to implement an action plan aimed at overcoming these barriers and advancing diversity within the judiciary. "It is imperative that we take action now to address these issues and ensure that the legal profession and judiciary better reflect the society they serve," Nick Emmerson concluded.