GC Diversity and Inclusion Report UK 2016
In the interviews we conducted for this report much of the strategic engagement or the initiatives undertaken were done at a company- wide level. However, some initiatives were specific to legal teams and were often engaged in addressing inequalities in legal education and hiring practices, particularly at law firms as we discussed in regards to the pipeline.
The role of the in-house lawyer
One thing which interested us in this research is how much the lawyer in a company is uniquely placed to be a driving force for diversity and inclusion. A number of interviewees, who are highly visible advocates for diversity and inclusion, do feel that lawyers are particularly well-placed to drive this agenda forward. On a conceptual level this is partly because, ‘it is fundamental to the DNA of a lawyer’, according to Tim Hailes of J.P. Morgan. ‘There is just an inherent dislike of injustice, discrimination and unfairness that speaks very powerfully to equality of opportunity and fair treatment of all people.’
