Question 1

Take action

Accepted Answer

Race Equality

Race Equality Week is an annual UK-wide movement uniting thousands of organisations and individuals to address the barriers to race equality in the workplace.

The commitment to racial inclusion requires actions. Below is a list of initiatives that you can support today that encourages immediate action towards Race Inclusion.

The Law Society Diversity Access Scheme

The Diversity Access Scheme (the DAS) is a scholarship set up to recognise the educational, social and financial disadvantages in society. It prioritises support to those individuals who have not had the advantage of others but have nonetheless demonstrated ability and commitment to a career in law.

Who benefits from the DAS?

The intersection between race and social mobility means that Black, Asian Minority groups are supported through the DAS. 44% of DAS awardees are from Black, Asian Minority groups.

What do students get when they become a DAS awardee:

Provides full scholarships to enable students to complete their LPC or SQE
Helps them to gain relevant work experience
Introduces them to solicitor mentors who provide invaluable, early advice on shaping their career path

How you can get involved with DAS?

You can support DAS through sponsoring a full or partial LPC or SQE place
Offer work experience to a DAS awardee
Sign up to become a Diversity Access mentor

To find out more, visit the Diversity Access Scheme page or contact Leila Lesan.

10,000 Black Interns

10,000 Black Interns is an initiative to provide 10,000 paid internships to black students over the next five years across 24 different sectors/professions.

The 10,000 Black Interns programme offers aspiring Black professionals a six-week paid internship. In 2022 there were over 100 legal internships available. This opportunity will offer an aspiring lawyer the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and training of the legal sector.

Signing up to 10,000 Black interns gives your organisation access to a pool of Black talent as well as offers support on how to effectively offer a legal internship.

Go to the 10,000 interns website for more information

Updating your existing policies

The Halo Code, the UK’s first Black Hair Code, protecting the rights of staff who come to work with natural hair and hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic and cultural identities. Race-based hair discrimination is illegal under the Equalities Act 2010. Workplaces have the right to enforce a dress code as long as it is fair and does not unduly discriminate against any employees.

Policies and practices that prohibit hairstyles which are primarily used to maintain Afro-textured hair can lead to indirect discrimination. The Halo Code focuses on hair textures and styles most commonly associated with the Black community who as a result of their ancestry have Afro-textured hair.

To find out more about the Halo code and how you can implement the code at your organisation, visit the Halo Code website.

Question 2

Recruitment

Accepted Answer

It’s vital that you openly and visibly welcome diversity.

Using inclusive language, imagery and ensuring your commitment to diversity and inclusion is obvious will help you attract a larger, more varied talent pool.

Auditing your current job adverts is one of the best ways to start your journey to recruiting diverse talent.

Speak to your current recruitment agencies about diversity targets and how they ensure diverse shortlists.

Expand your outreach, visit a range of universities and branch outside of the magic circle and largest firms when seeking lateral hires.

Diversity during the interview process brings unique perspectives to the dialogue between interviewers and interviewee.

Including Black, Asian and minority ethnic group employees on your interview panel can help candidates feel more comfortable and sends a message to prospective employees.

Question 3

Data

Accepted Answer

Diversity data will help you identify areas where you need to do more to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

You can also benchmark these figures against the wider labour market to get an idea of how representative your workforce is.

Question 4

Target setting

Accepted Answer

Target setting can be a good way to focus attention, keep organisations accountable and monitor progress.

How to set targets:

use the data to inform the targets you’re setting – for example, if data shows you a low proportion of Black men are recruited at associate level, this finding should be the basis of your target
have a clear, overall goal for targets to work
monitor the targets regularly to see if change is being made

Examples of initiatives and actions that work for similar organisations can help guide your target setting.

Below is a list of case studies of firms and organisations who have announced their target setting goals.

Case studies

Allen & Overy

In July 2020, Allen & Overy announced a raft of targets for its London business aimed at achieving greater ethnic diversity at every level of the firm.

The targets are:

15% ethnic minority partners by 2025
25% ethnic minority lawyers and support staff by 2025
35% ethnic minority trainees, including 10% Black trainees, each year
equalised retention rates for trainee lawyers, in particular retaining more Black associates

The firm used data collected internally to identify the challenges and set targets that are measurable.

The firm A&O’s ethnicity Stay Gap analysis, carried out by Pirical, found that Black, Asian and minority ethnic lawyers left the firm seven months earlier than their White colleagues and that Black lawyers leave two years and five months earlier than their White counterparts.

The firm has committed to publishing its updated ethnicity Stay Gap every year.

Target setting should have a clear aim that can be achieved within a specific time frame.

Linklaters

Linklaters announced its target setting goals starting from its 2020/2021 recruitment cycle.

The targets are:

35% ethnic minority trainees in the UK, including 10% Black trainees, each year
15% Black and minority ethnic group representation at partnership level

In order for the firm to monitor the targets, it has formed a Black Diversity Council to hold the firm to account on progress, train staff on anti-racism over the next 12 months and hold all partners and directors accountable for ethnic diversity in their practices and teams.

Question 5

Career development

Accepted Answer

Mentoring is a constructive, cost-effective way to invest in the development of your employees, while allowing positive relationships to form between colleagues and improving inclusion in tandem.

Due to many variables, including unconscious and conscious biases, ethnic minority employees may not receive the same organic and informal support as their White colleagues. It’s up to an organisation to formalise mentoring and ensure mentoring opportunities are afforded equally.

Benefits of mentoring for employees include:

improving communications and interpersonal skills
building personal and professional confidence
establishing goals and understanding how to achieve them
learning from experience and gaining invaluable insights
becoming more empowered and fulfilled
active contribution to an inclusive culture

When pairing mentors and mentees, it’s useful to consider how the relationship can be mutually beneficial.

Reverse mentoring is just as important and a great way to build inclusion as it gives senior leaders insights into the experiences and perspectives of under-represented groups in the workplace.

Question 6

Staff networks

Accepted Answer

Staff networks can be an important source of peer support and can provide a safe space and sense of belonging for people who are usually in the minority in the work environment.

They can also give an organisation valuable insights, which can be used to help shape a more inclusive working environment.

Tips for getting a staff network started:

plainly set out the purpose and aims of the network before it’s launched
be clear in your advertising that the network is staff led and each member will have a valued role in contributing to the work of the network
invite staff of all levels of seniority to participate and from all areas of the business
plan in frequent meetings with agendas to keep members engaged

Case study

Addleshaw Goddard

Inclusion partners across Addleshaw Goddard’s ethnicity work stream have worked with other partners and the HR team to look at how they can build a network for Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff and establish initiatives with meaningful outcomes.

Result

The firm knows which employees are interested in deepening their involvement with diversity initiatives
There is a more open culture in terms of sponsorship and support
Feedback has been excellent from both internal and external events
Completion of an internal diversity audit has increased in terms of self-declaration

Question 7

Allies

Accepted Answer

Being an ally means actively working against discrimination and inequality, helping to raise awareness of issues and challenges, taking accountability and amplifying the voices of minority groups.

The role of an ally includes:

educating yourself on the inequalities and obstacles faced by minority communities
listening without judgement to different perspectives and experiences
actively advocating for change for marginalised groups within your workplace, and in wider society
sharing development opportunities with others and/or creating these opportunities (for example, mentoring or sponsoring colleagues)
reflecting on your biases and how they may influence you
offering the advantages of your privilege to others
accepting your mistakes and learning from them

Question 8

Recognising and celebrating diversity

Accepted Answer

Dates like Black History Month, Race Equality Week or South Asian Heritage Month, as well as different religious or cultural festivals can be an opportunity to share information and learn about different perspectives and histories.

Sharing resources on internal hubs

These resources could be guidance on particular issues, signposting to external support or learning resources.

For example, an explanation of Black History Month and information about the contribution Black people have made to the profession.

Organising internal and external events

Suggestions for events could include:

panel sessions – organise an event bringing together a panel of ethnically diverse speakers. The topics could range from success stories and getting into leadership roles to intersectionality
diversity workshops – ideas might include ‘let’s talk about race’
guest speaker spotlights – invite an ethnic minority guest speaker from the legal or non-legal sector to talk about their career
Black History Month (BHM) quiz – raise money for a race equality charity by hosting a social quiz
intersectional events – listen to and engage with the experiences of those with more than one minority identity
food celebrations – invite staff to bring in dishes from their culture, for example hosting a Caribbean or Indian lunch
religious and cultural festivals – recognise and celebrate festivals such as Diwali and Eid
book club – this could focus on work by Black, Asian and minority ethnic authors