Whyte, A. 2024. Do Prizes Have Any Point? The Potential for Diversity Initiatives to Change the Ethnic Profile of the Solicitors’ Profession. in: Whyte, A., Tuitt, P. and Bourne, J. (ed.) The Long Walk to Equality London University of Westminster. pp. 77-112
| Chapter title | Do Prizes Have Any Point? The Potential for Diversity Initiatives to Change the Ethnic Profile of the Solicitors’ Profession |
|---|---|
| Authors | Whyte, A. |
| Editors | Whyte, A., Tuitt, P. and Bourne, J. |
| Abstract | By 2015, ‘BAME’ solicitors with practising certificates marginally exceeded their proportion of the working age population. This fact is the culmination of three decades of change, during which the legal profession has become more representative. Yet despite this shift, the legal profession remains stratified, with large city law firms, in particular channelling expensive legal work to privileged, white males. This chapter considers what role scholarships, awards, diversity programmes and other initiatives play in increasing ethnic diversity in the legal field and considers the potential of such initiatives to impact on law firm structure. It focuses on black males as a particularly underrepresented group. It uses Freshfields' Stephen Lawrence Scholarship (a diversity initiative), hailed as the most innovative in the city, as a case study. The chapter argues that such schemes are important in changing the culture of large city law firms and considers the potential of such schemes to effect sustained change to the “old, white male” face of the profession. |
| Keywords | Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship |
| Diversity Initiatives | |
| Black Male Lawyers | |
| Commercial Law | |
| Legal Profession | |
| Book title | The Long Walk to Equality |
| Page range | 77-112 |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publisher | University of Westminster |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 21 Feb 2024 |
| Place of publication | London |
| ISBN | 9781914386404 |
| 9781914386428 | |
| 9781914386435 | |
| 9781914386411 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.16997/book63.e |
| File | License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Web address (URL) | https://uwestminsterpress.co.uk/site/chapters/e/10.16997/book63.e/ |