350th law firm commits to greater workforce diversity
Peters Peters has become the 350th law firm to sign up to the Law Society Diversity and Inclusion Charter, a public commitment by legal practices to promote diversity, equality and inclusion throughout their business.
Firms that have signed up to the charter now represent well over a third of all solicitors in private practice.
Charter signatories have improved their performance in key areas, such as assigning responsibility for achieving equality and diversity targets, investing in supplier diversity, and setting equality, diversity and inclusion objectives, according to recent research.
Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, president of the Law Society, said: 'Many still wrongly assume that law firms are full of Oxbridge graduates called Hugo or Crispin. That might have been correct in the past. However, increasingly name plates at the entrance to law firms include Alison or Shreeti, Jermaine or Ahmed. We are seeing firms investing in a more diverse workforce. This is not just because 'it's the right thing to do'.
'Firms recognise the strong business case for diversity. It's straightforward: for law firms to be able to truly serve all sections of society, be they private or business clients, they need to reflect the diversity of said society. This means recruiting on merit and offering training and development opportunities to all employees regardless of background.'
Despite a move in recent years towards greater diversity, women, black, Asian and minority ethnic, disabled and LGBT solicitors remain underrepresented in senior positions in the legal profession.
'Although workforce diversity remains an area for development for many firms, the fact that firms such Peters Peters publicly commit to diversity indicates that firms are taking this more seriously. When there's commitment like this, progress will be made.'
Helen McDowell, managing partner at Peters Peters, said: 'We are delighted to be part of such a great initiative and are looking forward to thinking creatively about how to further improve our practices. A commitment to inclusivity and diversity makes for a better working environment, is better for clients and ultimately makes good business sense.'
About the Diversity and Inclusion Charter
Launched in 2009, the Diversity and Inclusion Charter is a public commitment by legal practices to promote diversity, equality and inclusion throughout their business.
The Diversity and Inclusion Charter is accompanied by a set of protocols designed to help practices fulfil their commitments in key areas of their business, including reporting and monitoring, flexible working and procuring legal services.
The protocols are accompanied by checklists, best practice guidance, case studies and toolkits.
