Breaking down barriers: elitism in the legal world

The legal industry has long been seen as elitist, and with an increased focus on diversity and inclusion across many sectors in today’s marketplace, legal firms are now more under the microscope than ever. A diverse workforce is a key requirement for legal firms hoping to choose from the widest talent pool possible and to attract top talent. Yet, the issue of elitism continues to be a problem. So, what are the main reasons behind elitism in law firms, and how can businesses begin to overcome these in order to develop a diverse workforce comprising of professionals from a variety of backgrounds? In this article, we examine the barriers on entering the legal profession, the types of discrimination that exist, as well as offering tips on how law firms can break those barriers down. 

The barriers found within the legal industry

Traditionally speaking the barriers to entry into legal professions have been high and broad, and perhaps even indiscriminate. There are still many issues to be overcome, but now action is being taken to tackle discrimination head-on. 

With regards to key areas of focus, law firms are looking to redress the balance of the male to female ratio with keen interest. There are small but welcome signs of progress in the largest firms, however, the gap has narrowed over the past few years, with the proportion of female partners rising steadily from 25% in 2014 to 29% in 2017.

The reasons behind the difficulties in tackling elitism are difficult to pinpoint, as some of them are deep-rooted and far-reaching into the background of candidates. For instance, due in part to the expansion of UK universities and a subsequently vastly increased graduate market, law firms have sidled closer to Russell Group universities as an assurance of the intellectual aptitude of candidates. The problem with this being that access to the Russell Group is typically granted by previous educational advantages. 

Degree discrimination and social mobility

Research from Oxford University suggested a number of policies that could be effective in order to combat educational elitism, much of which happens before a student even arrives at the door of University. These range from access to high-quality pre-school, daily homework, encouraging reading for pleasure, as well as educationally enriching activities outside of school, and greater guidance regarding the choice of subjects at GCSE and A-level which are likely to pay the highest future dividends in university access and beyond.

Further, having more mentoring and having it earlier on in academic efforts has been supported as an effected remedy to the type of educational disadvantage that might find an otherwise highly qualified individual not being considered for an opportunity within the legal profession.

How to break down barriers in your city law firm

We can see that times certainly are changing. Different organisations are undertaking different efforts but, in an age where #metoo gave a voice to silenced women, perhaps the simplest tool of change is the long overdue arrival of a climate and forum where discussion for difficult topics takes place. In describing the tool as simple, it is not to say that it has been easy to implement – arguably, it has been the opposite.  Although, it has been helped vastly by the #metoo movement. In relation to the legal market, such a forum has been encouraged by numerous articles and reports specifically in relation to Law firms, and the topic of inequality has been called up for discussion.

Law firms are now seeing great success with policies such as redacted applications, known generally as CV blind, and gender-balanced shortlists in relation to levelling the playing field in the recruitment process. CV Blind applications, being those with identification details removed from candidates’ CV and applications, are being adopted by an increasing number of firms after trailblazing success stories. Clifford Chance, who adopted this approach in 2014 along with Macfarlanes, saw a 30% increase in the breadth of educational institutions attended by trainees. 

Some firms, however, recognise that it is a long-game investment in order to redress the balance, getting involved with organisations that improve prospects for socially disadvantaged individuals at an early age.

In short, it feels as though any effort would be in the right direction and it is only with time and consistent drive that we will see what is successful, what works best and how we can effect genuine equality with efficacy.

If you are looking to hire top professionals to your law firm, please get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today, for a confidential discussion.