Ministry of Justice
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Stop pigeonholing women and minority Lawyers, says Bridget Prentice
Law firms should stop shepherding new recruits into specialisms based on background or gender, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said today.
Speaking at the Lawyer diversity conference, Bridget Prentice said women lawyers and those from ethnic minorities were sometimes shunted into family and immigration work respectively, which might not be where their strength or preference lay.
Bridget Prentice said:
"Increasing diversity in the legal profession is very important. People need and use lawyers all the time and they should have confidence the profession reflects their community.
"However, firms should recognise the individual qualities of each person and use them to the best effect. Diversity is about widening the pool of new talent and seeking the best candidates for different sections of the law."
Bridget Prentice also renewed her challenge to law firms to publish their diversity figures showing their commitment to opening up the profession to people from all backgrounds.
"People like dealing with companies that demonstrate their commitment to equality and diversity. Legal firms could benefit from making their stand on this public."
Notes to Editors
1. Bridget Prentice wrote to the top 100 law firms and 30 chambers in November 2005.
2. At the end of April 2007, 40 firms and seven Chambers had published their diversity data.
3. The working group was set up in January 2006, shortly after the publication of the Increasing Diversity in the Legal professions report. The report is available at http://www.dca.gov.uk/legalsys/profs.htm
4. The working group identified a number of barriers that people face in pursuing a career in the legal profession and suggested ways of overcoming them.
The hurdles include:
* Lack of easily accessible information about how to pursue a career in law or alternative routes into the profession.
* Inadequate information to students about costs, timescales, employer expectations, skills and experience required.
* Lack of comprehensive research about what affects career progression, equal pay, and flexible working.
* The need for more recognition of work based learning and other skills and experience as part of recruitment.
5. The Diversity Working Group report can be found at http://www.dca.gov.uk/legalsys.
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