Social diversity news, updates and analysis | Page 1 of 2

Research from the Bridge Group found that among ten leading City law firms 53% of partners attended independent schools and that those from lower socio-economic backgrounds took a year and a half longer on average to make partner. In addition, Covid-19 has revealed and compounded existing inequalities in wealth, race, gender, age, education and geographical location.

Three Travers Smith partners reflect on their experiences of social mobility and offer advice to aspiring solicitors. Continue reading “Guest post: Social mobility – does it still pay to be privileged in the law?”

For those in the legal profession, its record on casting its net beyond the privileged has long been an embarrassment… which is why it was a surprise to see a new ranking of the UK’s 50 most socially mobile employers include no less than 16 law firms.

Continue reading “The legal profession’s ‘domination’ of best employer rankings hits parody levels as City law firms recast as social mobility champions”

The Official Statistics Bulletin published yesterday (2 June) by the Judicial Appointments commission (JAC) has revealed that black and minority ethnic lawyers (BAME) applying to become judges are far less likely to succeed than their white counterparts. Continue reading “Odds against you: New figures show BAME applicants less likely to succeed as judges than white counterparts”

A privately educated elite continues to dominate the legal profession, as new Sutton Trust figures show 78% of barristers have Oxbridge qualifications, while the figure is 74% for the judiciary and 55% of solicitors. Continue reading “Half of solicitors are Oxbridge educated, along with 74% of judges, new data reveals”

A government report into barriers of entry in the professions has criticised the ‘class ceiling’ at law firms and other professional service outfits which it says are blocking working-class people from elite firms.

Continue reading “Law’s ‘class ceiling’ – Government report finds one law firm hires 60% of trainees from Oxbridge”