From a late decision to study law to becoming a partner at Slaughter and May, Lorna Nsoatabe shares how embracing opportunities, valuing people, and staying optimistic have shaped her journey

I wasn’t particularly set on law from a young age,” admits Lorna Nsoatabe, partner at Slaughter and May. During her A-levels, she leaned towards studying medicine before a final decision to study law at university. She enjoyed her degree but hadn’t yet decided what she’d like to do after graduating. What she did know was that she wanted a job involving people, teamwork, and challenge. Seeing many peers apply to commercial law firms, she decided to give it a go — reasoning that it would tick those boxes and make good use of her degree. “I applied, without a huge amount of thought about what’s going to happen in 10 years, but more just, I think I’ll enjoy the immediate life as a trainee and hopefully be good at it,” she recalls.

That leap of faith paid off. Nsoatabe began her training contract with the firm in 2012, gaining experience across corporate, financing, competition, real estate and Disputes and Investigations. It was her competition seat that clicked, and she qualified into the group in 2015. Looking back, she says her progression wasn’t pre-planned but the result of seizing opportunities — she worked hard so that “when the next step came, I was ready to take it.”

But why competition? She loved the team, describing a supportive department where everyone worked hard but “didn’t take themselves too seriously” — the mix of humour, humility and excellence was very appealing. The work also appealed. “I wanted to use my law degree while also understanding how clients work and explore the business side of things — even using my maths a little bit.” It combined legal analysis, commercial awareness, and a touch of economics and policy. She “really likes the mix of that business, law and economics” and found that combination “just worked for me.”

Competition also appealed because it is a ‘people’ practice area. “It’s a real people department,” she tells Legal Cheek Careers, involving constant interaction with business teams, in-house counsel, boards and CEOs — an aspect she still enjoys. Years on, her favourite part of the job remains “the people aspect” above all.

Applications for Slaughter and May’s training contract programme (Law and non-law finalists and graduates) are now open

To succeed in competition law, Nsoatabe emphasises the importance of the human element as much as the technical. Strong legal skills are essential, but so are communication skills and common sense. “Can you get clients to talk to you and share what’s concerning them? Share what they really want to happen so you can help them make it happen?” she asks. Building trust enables you to truly help the client, while good judgment and pragmatism are key to finding sensible paths forward.

Shifting to the firm, she highlights the appeal of Slaughter and May’s multi-specialist approach. Lawyers at the firm aren’t confined to narrow specialisms; instead, they work across a broad practice area, handling the wide range of matters within it. This ethos brings variety — “nothing is boring, you get genuinely new things every day” — and the challenge of constantly pushing beyond your comfort zone. While this is not for everyone, she explains that “there are real benefits for our lawyers, who develop excellent legal skills and our clients who work with lawyers able to support them on a range of matters”.

This breadth fosters collaboration. “We rely on our colleagues to share their expertise,” she explains. People readily call each other for advice, creating a “really supportive” and notably uncompetitive environment where, as she puts it, “we talk to each other, instead of competing”.

APPLY NOW: ‘What does a world of difference look like? With Slaughter and May’, a virtual student event taking place Tuesday 16 September

Another distinctive feature is Slaughter and May’s international approach. Rather than a large global network, the firm partners with the leading independent firms in each jurisdiction. This model “encourages us to communicate really well” and consistently deliver excellent work so that each overseas partner “thinks, ‘yes, I want to work with the firm again’”. Clients, in turn, benefit from seamless, high-quality service across multiple jurisdictions.

For Nsoatabe, the multi-specialist philosophy keeps her work exciting. “If my client has any issue across the whole realm of what Competition law involves, I’m able to help,” she explains. That means continually encountering unique legal scenarios and learning new skills, but also developing a really in-depth understanding of her clients. This broad base also sharpens her as an adviser when it comes to spotting potential issues which may impact a client.

Now over a decade into her career, she notes the fundamentals have stayed the same as she rose from trainee to partner — but expectations evolve. As a junior, everything was new but as a senior, you’re expected to handle the unfamiliar with confidence. Even so, new things still come across her desk, and the firm’s training equips lawyers at all levels to tackle “cutting-edge issues no one’s seen before”.

Outside client work, Nsoatabe has championed diversity and inclusion. As an associate, she spent nearly seven years chairing the firm’s diversity network, which celebrates and promotes racial and ethnic diversity. Now, as a partner, she continues as the group’s sponsoring partner, mentoring leaders and advocating for the network in management. “I’m there in a supportive capacity and as a sounding board,” she says. The mission is to “make the firm better, make it more inclusive — a working environment in which anyone, irrespective of your background, can develop and thrive.”

Applications for Slaughter and May’s summer work experience scheme are now open

One of the network’s highlights is the annual Carnival event — a celebration inspired by the Caribbean carnival, with music, food, steel drums, and a talk about Carnival’s history. The event brings colleagues together for fun and learning, becoming a highlight of the year. What Nsoatabe finds most rewarding is seeing young colleagues take the lead. Trainees, junior associates and others across the non-legal teams, are encouraged to run events and bring ideas to life. Empowering junior staff has been “a really lovely thing,” she says, and cites witnessing their enthusiasm and success as her proudest achievement.

Nsoatabe believes diversity networks are much more than just PR. They foster inclusion and belonging, which in turn boosts young lawyer’s confidence. “You meet people who are like you, who think like you, who have had the same experiences as you… you have that space to have a conversation, to discuss things that might be difficult or challenging for you,” she explains. They also drive practical change by advising HR and leadership on cultural considerations or current events impacting colleagues. Having a dedicated group for these issues ensures “genuine change and impact can happen”.

Looking at the wider profession, Nsoatabe is hopeful but realistic. “We’ve seen a huge amount of growth in the last 10 years,” she notes, but there’s more to do before the profession truly reflects people from all backgrounds. Her wish is simple: that progress continues so that, in 10 or 15 years, diversity is “just a given” and every organisation knows how to create an inclusive workspace.

As we wrap up, she offers advice for aspiring lawyers. Firstly, enjoy it. “I think it can be a really great job and a really rewarding job,” she says. “Lean into enjoying it and try and have the best time possible”. Take up opportunities, get involved, and “put your hand up for things”. That said, if something isn’t right, don’t simply give up. Instead, speak up and try to make it better: “If you’re not enjoying it, or there’s something that you think can be done differently, try and make a bit of change.” In her experience, people are often receptive: “oh yes, you’re entirely right, we haven’t thought about that, how can we do better?”

Finally, she urges an optimistic mindset. Every generation faces challenges, but “being positive about your own career and about what you want from it, is a much better place to be than just worrying about it. Work hard, stay positive, and never forget the people around you.”

Lorna Nsoatabe will be speaking at ‘What does a world of difference look like? With Slaughter and May’, a virtual student event taking place Tuesday 16 September. Secure your place now.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Slaughter and May Careers (@slaughterandmaycareers)

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post A Slaughter and May partner on why both the work and firm culture matter appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The post How one leading US law firm is investing in inclusivity appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The post TLT targets 50% female partners by 2029 appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The post Nearly 60% of pupil barristers are women, new data shows appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The post Top law firms join forces with UWE to launch diversity work experience programme appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The post Number of ‘privileged’ solicitors remains high appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The post TLT sets 35% ethnic minority target for trainee and apprentice roles appeared first on Legal Cheek.

More than two-thirds (67%) of women lawyers believe their firms are committed to improving gender equality, but less than half (45%) feel current measures are effective.

New research undertaken by the Next 100 Years Project, which supports the progression of women in law, found that firms could make further strides if they focused their efforts on providing more practical support and increased flexibility.

It surveyed over 200 women lawyers ranging from trainees to partners working in-house and private practice, as well as barristers and legal executives.

They found initiatives such as mentoring, flexitime, maternity return support and women’s networks work well, but are implemented by relatively few law firms.

Other measures that garnered majority support but were provided by few legal employers include financial support for childcare, gender diverse client teams and enhanced paternity leave, according to the research.

External diversity pledges were considered to be the least effective measure by more than a quarter (27%) of female lawyer respondents.

The research found the majority of women lawyers welcome flexible (remote, hybrid and part-time) working, but fears remain about the impact such working patterns have on equal opportunities.

Only 54% were confident that work was allocated fairly between men and women in their organisation whilst a fifth believed it was not.

Meanwhile, over half felt part-time working was detrimental to being given the best work and just over a third felt working from home was also a contributory factor to missing out.

Looking at the wider legal industry, the women lawyers surveyed considered role models, mentoring programmes and sector or specialism-specific groups for women, to be the most effective in supporting them to progress in their careers.

They also backed fair and transparent recruitment and promotion processes; accountability and responsibility from workplace leaders; changes to working practices with support for working parents; and societal change relating to gender stereotypes both in and outside the workplace, to reduce gender inequality.

Dana Denis-Smith, founder of the Next 100 Years, said: “We have made real progress — the profession knows it must tackle gender inequality and the normalisation of hybrid working has been a positive step. Although there are outliers, the majority of women lawyers are working for organisations that want to see them succeed and are bringing in measures to remove any barriers.”

She continued:

“With organisations adopting a wide range of new initiatives, from gender blind work allocation to fertility services and menopause support, it’s time to take a step back and focus on what women are telling us really works. By thinking more strategically, law firms and other organisations can ensure efforts to improve diversity in their workforce are being channelled effectively. Our research suggests that means prioritising practical help with childcare, more truly flexible working options, targeted support for returners and wider uptake of mentoring and coaching schemes or networks.”

The Next 100 Years is the successor project to the First 100 Years, which was created to chart the journey of women in law in the first 100 years following the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which paved the way for women to become lawyers for the first time.

The post Ditch the equality pledges and provide more mentoring, flexitime and maternity support, say women lawyers appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The call for diversity and inclusion within law firms, particularly among Muslim solicitors, is growing.

The latest data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority shows the percentage of Muslim solicitors has increased from 5% in 2019 to 6%, which aligns closely with the proportion of the UK population. Further, history was made when the Law Society installed Lubna Shuja as president, the first Muslim to hold the position.

One future trainee solicitor is on a mission to make law firms aware of the unique practices and boundaries that influence Muslim lawyers’ day-to-day. Waqas Hussain, 32, a former international recruiter and future Bird & Bird trainee set up the Muslim Employment Charter with this in mind. He’s already got a major international law firm onboard and tells us how the charter came about, his plans for the future, as well as his own experience navigating a legal career as a practising Muslim.

Could you tell me what the Muslim Employment Charter does in a nutshell?

Muslims have unique faith-based practices and boundaries that directly influence their working day. The Muslim Employment Charter (MEC) supports employers in meeting the common needs of Muslim professionals. By partnering with MEC, employers commit to implementing our three-part charter, addressing the workplace challenges frequently encountered by Muslim professionals. Our goal is to foster inclusive workplaces where Muslim professionals no longer have to compromise between their faith and their career.

So presumably, these are policies law firms have been slow to adopt — why do you think that is?

The level of accommodation varies across firms — inconsistency is a major issue. While some firms have policies in place for certain areas such as prayer facilities, they may lack an inclusive approach to social and networking events, often centered around alcohol. Overall, there is a significant knowledge gap among employers regarding the basic principles of Islam, resulting in a lack of understanding about the needs of their Muslim employees. As a result, individual employees often bear the responsibility of requesting faith-based workplace accommodations. However, many employees hesitate to make such requests due to the potentially awkward nature of the conversation, especially for introverted individuals or those who are new to the company. So a combination of a lack of understanding and the responsibility of the employee to make their needs known creates a recipe for disconnect and slow change.

What can law firms achieve by signing up?

Adopting MEC can bring numerous benefits to a law firm, including
an enhanced reputation, stronger client relationships, legal compliance, an empowered workforce, talent attraction and a contribution to social mobility.

How did you come up with the idea? And could you tell us a bit about your team?

I spent several years in international recruitment, where I encountered numerous Muslim professionals who were considering leaving the UK because they found it extremely challenging to advance in their careers without compromising their religious obligations or conforming to problematic norms. This resulted in UK employers losing many highly talented individuals.

This issue troubled me deeply, as it was a challenge I had personally experienced. In my search for solutions, I came across a similar charter for Muslim athletes called Nujum Sports. Inspired by this, I decided to create something similar specifically for Muslim professionals. To better understand the common workplace challenges they faced in relation to their faith, I conducted a survey that involved over 500 Muslim professionals.

After several months of research and collaboration, we developed the charter. Its three pillars address the most prevalent areas where inclusion for Muslim professionals falls short. These include establishing workplace prayer and ablution facilities, promoting inclusive social and networking events that aren’t centred around alcohol, and fostering cultural understanding through tailored workshops and participation in Islamophobia Awareness Month.

Our team consists of remarkable individuals who are actively involved in law societies, DE&I committees, and hold positions as partners, law firm owners, and experts in Islamic jurisprudence. They include Shaheen Mamun, Sana Saddique, Salma Maqsood, Mariam Khan and Qays Sediqi.

What are your goals for the remainder of this year?

We have been actively reaching out to innovative and progressive law firms recently, focusing on garnering support and participation from as many employees as possible. Additionally, we are determined to raise awareness among Muslim professionals, ensuring that they do not suffer in silence and are aware that there is a solution available. As part of our efforts, expect exciting MEC events planned for this year!

You’re a future trainee soon to join a large City law firm and a practising Muslim. Have you encountered any challenges along the way, and what advice would you give to students from a similar background?

My path to the law took a unique route. I initially studied business and marketing and worked in sales and recruitment, making me quite distinct from those who pursued a traditional legal career. However, I firmly believe that the issues surrounding faith inclusion are not limited to specific sectors. Many of us have encountered challenges at alcohol-centric social and networking events, finding ourselves making ablution in sinks or utilising makeshift prayer rooms. My simple advice is to stay true to your values and beliefs without apology, engage in dialogue and support initiatives like MEC. Together, we can create a win-win situation for both employers and employees.

You can find out more about the Muslim Employment Charter on its website.

The post Meet the future trainee solicitor hoping to make law firms more Muslim-friendly appeared first on Legal Cheek.

As a new starter in a firm, it can be particularly daunting deciding if, and when, you are going to ‘come out’ to your colleagues. Something so subtle as implying you have a same-sex partner, or that you date people of a particular gender, can be a serious decision to make. You are vying for the approval of your team — and you don’t want any pre-conceptions to jeopardise your ability to get on with everyone in the team. It’s a consideration I had to make when beginning my career at Addleshaw Goddard (AG).

I think imposter syndrome can also affect this decision. As a graduate with no legal connections or a foot in the industry, I felt an extreme urge to prove to myself and others that I could thrive at the firm. Coming out felt like something that, going into my new role, could prejudice my ability to fit into the team and produce great work. Furthermore, you don’t want to rock the boat. I was worried that my lack of influence and a large network within the team would mean I would simply be too afraid to challenge someone on what they said to me if it made me uncomfortable.

Some people would argue that a person’s sexuality shouldn’t matter enough in the workplace, and it isn’t necessary to have to come out. Although I don’t believe that it is a necessity, sexuality and gender identity are key to being your authentic self at work — and everyone has a right to be able to do that. It’s also important to establish who you are to your team as soon as possible to avoid any awkward and embarrassing situations.

These are considerations I had to make before starting at the firm. I experienced that initial reluctance to be my authentic self and share my own interests/experiences as a queer person at first.

Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about — the firm had cultivated an environment that was respectful and allowed people like me to be comfortable in bringing their authentic selves to work. There were a few ways in which the firm demonstrated to me that I knew I could be open about my sexuality without fear of prejudice — and I could make the decision to come out safely.

Within my first week, I was introduced to a host of diversity and inclusion networks across the firm. These groups are set up to improve the experiences of different communities at the firm — including queer people. The networks are open to colleagues at all levels in all divisions. To see such a wide coverage of participants across the firm indicated to me that I could seek support from others in my decision to come out at the firm if I needed to. It was also reassuring to hear from other colleagues about their own experiences as queer people at the firm and the similar challenges we share coming out at work.

It was also really encouraging to see so many people around the firm wearing Pride lanyards from day one. It was a subtle yet powerful way of letting me know that I was welcome and would not be treated prejudicially by others.

I was also invited to attend diversity and inclusion training sessions as part of my induction into the firm. These are firmwide, compulsory talks that require all colleagues to think about how they would define inclusion. It also invites us all to think about systems of privilege and how they can play into the make-ups of firms. Holding these conversations in an open forum is a great way for all colleagues to recognise the role that they play as allies to queer people.

These are just some examples of ways that firms can help cultivate a community that is accepting and welcoming of all queer people — so much so that coming out didn’t feel as daunting as I initially thought it would be.

Isaac Orr is a litigation paralegal at Addleshaw Goddard.

The post Pride Month: Is it still necessary to come out at work? appeared first on Legal Cheek.

A network focused on empowering South Asian women in the legal profession has launched.

The Aura Network hosted its first event at the House of Lords last week. The event was attended by several key legal figures including the current Law Society president and the first Asian and Muslim woman to hold the position, Lubna Shuja.

Shuja joined former Crown Prosecution Service solicitor Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, alongside Baroness Sandip Verma and Baroness Shaista Gohir, for a panel discussion titled, ‘South Asian women game-changers in the law’. They considered the unique challenges facing South Asian women in law and the steps to support current and future legal professionals.

The founder of Bradford-based family law practice SKB Law, Sarah Khan-Bashir MBE, started the network after recognising the lack of representation for South Asian female legal professionals. In particular, she noticed that articles about successful lawyers always seemed to portray mainly white women. “It worried me in terms of relatability and the message that to be successful you’ve got to look a certain way,” she said in conversation with Legal Cheek.

After seeing an article about successful family lawyers which used an accompanying image with no diversity, she was compelled to share this observation in a LinkedIn post. “The response was just overwhelming”, she recalls, “all these other incredible women who are in major law firms, at partner level, and some judges. And they were all very generous in terms of sharing their experiences and giving a lift up to those entering the profession.”

“We deal with young women every day who are trying to get into the legal profession, and one of the hurdles they have is the lack of relatability further along in the legal profession: whether that’s partners, judges, or even senior lawyers who feel comfortable in expressing their different backgrounds and cultures.”

“We also wanted to celebrate Lubna Shuja who’s done us proud”, she adds, “but we wanted her legacy to be carried on and we thought having something like the network could achieve that.”

“One of the things I said at the event is that we want an increasingly diverse and global legal market, and as South Asian women, we are a significant source of talent and we should be recognised for that,” Khan-Bashir told us. “If we want to boost representation and create a more diverse and inclusive legal profession, then we need to invest in more development opportunities. This network is one of those.”

Looking even further into the future, Khan-Bashir has big plans for the network including a partnership with The University of Law. “It’s quite exciting, we’re hoping to provide a year plan of events, workshops and training,” she says.

For young women entering the profession, Khan-Bashir is keen for them to benefit from the work put in by those before them, saying: “We’ve carved a path already, we don’t want to have to re-carve it.”

“We’re hoping to help people at all levels and being a solicitor or a barrister are not the only two professions in law,” she continues. “People that support the profession in and around the law are doing just as amazing careers and it’d be nice to showcase that too.”

Women interested in joining the network can do so on LinkedIn.

The post Network launched to empower South Asian women in law appeared first on Legal Cheek.

UK law firm TLT has hit its female partner target two years early.

The Bristol-headquartered firm confirmed this week that women have held 33% of partner roles since the start of the financial year. It previously aimed to achieve this by 2025.

Following the launch of its gender equality strategy in 2019 in collaboration with the firm’s Women’s Equality Network, TLT said it has “significantly improved” gender balance in its partner hiring and promotions, with women accounting for just over 50% of partner promotions and hires in the past three years — double what it was three years ago.

A number of big law firms have introduced similar gender-based targets in recent years. DLA Piper, for example, is targeting a global female partnership of at least 30% by 2025, while Freshfields is targeting new partners to be at least 40% women by 2026. Magic Circle rival Clifford Chance set a similar goal of at least 40% female partners globally but by 2030.

TLT said the progress has, in part, been achieved through “robust governance”, which has seen the establishment of an “internal taskforce” that monitors progress in diversity.

“Gender equality is a given for our firm; fixing the system and not our women has been a fundamental part of our success,” commented Helen Hodgkinson, chief people officer at TLT. “Whilst our current position is promising and things are improving, we still have a way to go.”

Hodgkinson continued: “We know it is still mostly women who take the predominant amount of caring responsibilities and, with women representing 70% of our business, this is a significant barrier to improving gender diversity in our top roles.”

The latest stats shows women make up 52% of lawyers in law firms, up from 51% on the previous year. Despite this, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) notes women remain underrepresented at partner level (35%) in firms of all sizes, but to a greater extent in the largest outfits.

The post TLT hits female partner target two years early appeared first on Legal Cheek.

“There are no overnight fixes when it comes to diversity,” explains Bam Thomas, an associate in the litigation, arbitration & investigations team at Magic Circle law firm Linklaters. “It takes decades of commitment to put in place a culture where all minorities, including Black people, can rise to senior positions in a firm.”

Having completed a bachelor’s degree in international and European law at the University of Sheffield, Thomas was attracted to the broad range of big clients and interesting cases that commercial law could offer. Today, as a litigation associate, her work involves handling matters where commercial relationships have broken down, such as those between companies and regulators, as well as judicial review claims against government bodies.

“Overall it has been really good,” remarks Thomas when asked about her experience of practising law as a Black solicitor in the City. Although there aren’t many, “there is a real sense of community among Black lawyers, both within Linklaters and generally in London”, she explains.

According to Thomas, one of the biggest challenges of coming from an under-represented background is not having enough role models to look up to. “While it’s getting better at the junior and mid-levels, there is still a lack of representation at the partnership level,” she says. “It can feel quite daunting ascending to a level that people from similar backgrounds have yet to reach. Fortunately, I have the support of my colleagues and the wider firm.”

“I also sit on the firm’s Black Diversity Council which is responsible for holding the firm accountable for its Race Action Plan — a commitment and pledge to improve the representation of Black and under-represented minority ethnic lawyers and staff across all levels of the firm,” Thomas explains. “We provide insight and advice on issues that are of concern to the Black community.”

As a part of its wider commitment to ethnic diversity, Linklaters has set aspirational diversity targets under which it aims to have 35% ethnic minority trainees in the UK, including 10% Black trainees, each year. Other ways in which the Magic Circle player is supporting Black aspiring lawyers is through its Get Ahead programme, a tailored series for candidates from Black and other underrepresented minority ethnic backgrounds which is currently open for applications. The firm also partners with the Black Solicitors Network on its Grassroots Programme, a bespoke and intensive programme supporting Black undergraduates studying at Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan, Bristol and Salford universities in the pursuit of a career in law.

In 2021, Linklaters became one of the first major law firms to adopt the Halo code, which “explicitly protects employees who come to work with natural hair and protective hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities”.

During our conversation, Thomas also spoke highly of Linklaters’ reverse mentoring programme, an initiative that allows young lawyers to share their insights with the firm’s senior staff.

“The partner I was mentoring was from a non-UK office,” says Thomas. “This provided us the opportunity to have long chats about the differences in race and ethnicity considerations between his country and the UK. We’d meet once a month and he’d often ask my opinion on ethnicity and disability initiatives that his office was thinking of implementing.” She also finds the initiative to be a great opportunity for young lawyers to network and build confidence in interacting with partners.

When asked whether she is happy with the progress City law firms have made on diversity, Thomas was hopeful yet pragmatic. “A lot of good progress has been made over the last few years but we have to remember that the catalyst for change was the horrific murder of George Floyd.” Firms must be “proactive rather than reactive” when it comes to diversity, Thomas says. “It is easier to recruit people from diverse backgrounds but to allow them to thrive and have lengthy careers is the real challenge that we must focus on.”

Thomas, who qualified in 2021 having joined the firm as trainee in 2019, is also dyslexic. One way she has managed this at work is by being transparent with her teammates, explaining: “I find it helpful to be honest with my colleagues about my disability. This allows them to divide tasks in a way that is accommodative of my condition.”

Thomas sees strength in her dyslexia too. “It does make things harder but having dyslexia means that my brain processes information in a way that is different to the majority of people,” she says. “That can sometimes be an advantage.”

Being at a major global firm like Linklaters means Thomas is able to access different types of support. For example, one way in which the firm ensures that her needs are accommodated is by the provision of text-to-speech and speech-to-text software that has helped improve her efficiency.

When asked about careers advice for Black aspiring lawyers, Thomas highlights the importance of ‘being yourself’. “Sometimes students may have a tendency to assimilate and that is very understandable. But I would say that coming from a different background is more of an advantage and students should embrace that,” she says.

Bam Thomas will be speaking at next week’s in-person event, ‘An evening with Black lawyers at Linklaters’ on Tuesday 2 May. This event is now fully booked.

Follow Linklaters on Instagram!

Follow @LinklatersGrads

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post Life as a Black junior lawyer at a Magic Circle law firm appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Lloyds Banking Group’s legal and secretariat division have come together to launch a reverse mentoring programme with the aim of helping their lawyers and staff gain a better understanding of the cultural differences across the workforces of both organisations.

The new partnership will initially see 20 individuals from across both businesses come together to share their backgrounds, together with the challenges and barriers they have faced in their professional and personal lives. This, they hope, will enable staff to learn from each other about how to navigate potential career obstacles.

HSF confirmed to Legal Cheek that the programme is open to staff from across all levels of the firm, including trainee and junior lawyers.

As part of the reverse element, mentees will be encouraged to provide career advice, ensuring mentors (who are at the more junior end of the career spectrum) can identify their best career path and most likely route to success. They will also provide professional and personal development support, helping mentors manage the integration of their job, career and personal goals.

Miriam Everett, HSF partner and programme sponsor, commented:

“Creating a safe space where people can dare to dream and simultaneously lay the foundation stones that transform their dreams into reality is central to any mentoring programme. Learning from those at different levels of seniority is always helpful, but harnessing the perspectives of people from different backgrounds to your own or those working in another organisation is an invaluable opportunity which could build bridges that stand the test of time.”

HSF isn’t the first firm to try its hand at reverse mentoring. In 2018, Linklaters trialled a scheme where some of the firm’s top partners were mentored by some of its most junior lawyers as part a wider programme on diversity and inclusion. A number of firms have since adopted similar initiatives.

Elsewhere, BPP University Law School created a reverse mentoring scheme that saw law students critique the diversity and inclusion policies of law firms.

The post HSF teams up with Lloyds to launch D&I reverse mentoring scheme appeared first on Legal Cheek.

City law firms’ efforts to become more diverse and inclusive are “a form of ‘reputation laundering’, offering only the illusion of change”, a university academic has claimed, much to the annoyance of legal graduate recruiters. They say the academic’s assertions are outdated and fail to take into account what’s happening at grass roots level.

Dr Louise Ashley, a senior lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, who has spent more than ten years researching issues around equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in ‘elite’ professions, writes in a recent article:

“I believe that City firms’ efforts to become more diverse and inclusive, and to deliver more equal representation at the top, have not worked because they were never meant to. Instead, they are a form of ‘reputation laundering’, offering only the illusion of change in order to protect their privileges and rewards.”

Dr Ashley came to this conclusion following more than 400 interviews with City workers over a ten-year period, around a third of them lawyers, for her book, Highly Discriminating: Why the City isn’t Fair and Diversity Doesn’t Work.

But many have issues with her take.

A number of graduate recruitment experts told Legal Cheek that they believed the comments were outdated, failing to take into account new graduate hiring policies that have come in over the last five years. Far more diverse trainee intakes are now the norm at elite London law firms, with students from minority backgrounds and non-Russell Group universities seen much more widely, but it will take time for those trainees to progress through their respective organisations into more senior roles. While that process may require a change to some elements of organisational culture within firms, to assume those more diverse trainees won’t progress to senior roles and shake up demographics further up the ladder is unduly pessimistic, say graduate recruitment insiders.

Further, they point to the rise of solicitor apprenticeships. Magic circle duo Linklaters and Allen & Overy now both offer a route to school-leavers to go direct into City law without incurring university debt. Between them the pair are offering around 12 school-leavers per year a way in through this route. Again, why assume these future lawyers won’t reach the top, recruiters ask.

Chair of the City of London Law Society Colin Passmore also hit back at Dr Ashley’s article, writing on LinkedIn that he had been left “surprised and more than a little disappointed” at the comments. The former City partner urged her to “reflect on her conclusions and perhaps celebrate the fact that some significant and genuine initiatives are well under way that are meant to — and will — effect lasting change”.

Dr Ashley, who briefly worked in business development for a City law firm, argues that the “class-based recruitment strategies” she has observed over the last decade sustain “the impression of status and prestige” and help “justify the high fees they charge, and the exceptional profits they generate”.

She adds that the “war for talent” among firms to attract graduates from the UK’s most elite universities is “largely phoney”, continuing: “in reality, the skills the firms need are available from a much wider cohort of graduates — but it has helped convince both City firms and clients of these employees’ exceptional worth”.

Dr Ashley cites a Black corporate lawyer she spoke to in the early 2010s as telling her: “Their dream scenario is to try and find a nice, uncontroversial way to try and ‘do diversity’ without having to change much of anything else.” But most people would agree that City law firm recruitment has changed significantly since then.

Meanwhile, another law firm partner she spoke to at an unspecified time is quoted as saying his firm preferred to appoint “polished” candidates from elite universities. “From a business perspective you can’t afford to have people in meetings who will not look good to the clients, [even if] some might be very, very bright,” he said.

Over the years City law firms have ramped up their diversity efforts by implementing targets for the retention of senior female and minority ethnic employees, as well as initiating mentoring schemes and making time spent towards EDI activities count towards lawyers’ billing targets.

They have done well largely on the gender front, with many firms exceeding targets for female partners in recent years. But the latest statistics released by the solicitors’ regulator show that big law firms are lagging behind when it comes to diversity at the top, with just 8% of partners being Black, Asian or from another ethnic minority background.

Speaking to Legal Cheek on what more City law firms can do to bring about real change in the profession, Dr Ashley said: “fundamental systemic and structural change is difficult because practices that can be quite dysfunctional in relation to talent (and indeed wellbeing) are ‘locked-in’ as a result of interactions between highly competitive firms”.

“One obvious example is very long hours which makes the retention of talented people (often, though not always, women) more difficult but persists because no firm feels able to fundamentally change this culture and structure unless their immediate competitors do, since leaders believe this could undermine their competitive position and profitability,” she continued. “An added dimension to this amongst City law firms is that over the past few decades, profitability became a sign of status in and of itself. Status is in turn important to City law firms (and their clients) and since long hours help drive profitability, there is additional resistance to change.”

Dr Ashley told Legal Cheek that Passmore’s post was “predominantly about gender inequalities in the law — my book and the article on which his comments I think were based is about social class, largely in finance. It is important to underline that demographics, cultures and structures do vary within and between sectors and firms — and I discuss how and why in much more detail in my book.”

“However, when it comes to reputation laundering, it is very important to underline that while that is not the intention, it can be an effect,” she said. “As a general point, it is brilliant that firms are doing such good work to open access and that is absolutely to be celebrated. There is a question about whether these new entrants will be able to progress their careers at a speed similar to more privileged peers and whether they will enjoy the same retention rates. We will need more time to know on that one, but evidence suggests there could be some challenges there.”

She continued: “In my book on this subject, I argue that the City often welcomes diversity, on the condition that those who are ‘different’ become more or less the same as the people already there. There is then significant pressure on new entrants from diverse backgrounds to assimilate to dominant norms and, while experiences clearly vary, that can be exhausting and distracting. On that basis, there is a danger that diverse new entrants offer reputational capital to some firms, but at some personal cost. It is vital to point out this is not deliberate, and that my critique is never aimed at individuals, or the people doing the difficult and important work in pursuit of diversity within firms. It is always aimed at the institutions and practices that get in the way, as dysfunctional practices can get locked in despite any deliberate intention or conscious will. Understanding how and why that happens is critical to understanding how to drive change.”

Dr Ashely acknowledged “these are not always comfortable conversations” but “sometimes we need the less comfortable conversations to move the needle”.

The post City grad recruiters slam academic’s claim that law firm diversity schemes are just for show appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Diversity at law firms leaves much to be desired. Latest statistics from the Solicitors Regulation Authority reveal that only 2% of all solicitors are Black. What’s more, the data shows that big law firms lag behind when it comes to ethnic diversity.

However, some law firms are making conscious efforts towards improving diversity and inclusion, with Shearman & Sterling leading by example. Now in its third year, the firm’s Black Undergraduate Internship & Lawyer Development programme (B.U.I.L.D. @ Shearman) provides a one-of-its-kind opportunity to Black students and graduates. In this article, we explore how the programme came about and how it is helping the firm build a more inclusive workforce.

Unpacking BUILD

BUILD is a programme specifically targeted to Black students and graduates. Eligible students must fill out an application form on the firm’s website. Alongside educational background and work history, this year’s form consists of three application questions. These questions, each requiring an answer of a maximum of 250 words, are designed to test an applicant’s motivation to participate in BUILD, their past extra-curricular involvements, as well as their interest in pursuing a legal career in the City. Once successful at this stage, applicants are then invited to complete an online interview with the graduate team and an associate.

Those fortunate to be selected as BUILD interns get a chance to spend four weeks in Shearman & Sterling’s London office. During this time, interns can complete two different rotations in practice areas including international arbitration, antitrust and M&A. There are opportunities to upskill too, with the firm providing training sessions on topics like commercial awareness and the graduate recruitment process — all this whilst getting paid a generous stipend of £500 per week! At the end of the internship, high-performing interns are fast-tracked for a vacation scheme interview.

With BUILD, Shearman & Sterling is one of only a handful of law firms to have a dedicated diversity recruitment programme in place. We spoke to Paul Gascoyne, the firm’s senior recruitment manager in London, to find out the motivators behind the scheme. “As part of Shearman & Sterling’s ongoing commitment to diversity, inclusion and social mobility, the firm has been seeking opportunities to help to, demonstrably and tangibly, address these systemic issues and provide talented, Black students with the access to the legal profession, and the mentoring and training, that they need to thrive as successful corporate lawyers,” he said.

Finding a community

The BUILD programme makes a mark when it comes to visibility and mentorship. Interns are connected with supervisors who provide mentoring not only during the internship, but also following its completion. “BUILD allowed me to make new connections, meet new people, find a community and align my personal journey with the community too,” says a scheme participant.

“The best thing about BUILD is meeting the people,” adds another former intern. “Before coming here, I had these assumptions about how lawyers look like and how they spoke to people. Coming in here, I have learnt that they’re just like us, that they’re normal people and we do share some common goals and interests as well.”

Participating in the programme also helped some past interns develop an appreciation for smaller training cohort sizes that US firms like Shearman & Sterling offer. As another scheme participant explains: “Smaller intakes make it easier to build working relationships with colleagues which, in my opinion, makes it a fruitful learning space. Not only do I now view Shearman & Sterling as a place I can see myself working in, but the firm is a place I actively want to work for.”

A step closer to making it as a solicitor

BUILD sets you in great stead to secure a training contract. It offers workshops and training seminars, as well as real-life insight into the world of City law. For Sikemi Adetola, a future Shearman & Sterling trainee, the programme acted as a stepping stone for her legal career: “Taking part in BUILD was a transformative moment for me when pursuing a career in law,” she says, continuing that the exposure through the programme set her up “to then complete a vacation scheme at the firm, and subsequently, receive a training contract offer. I really recommend BUILD to anyone interested in a career in law.”

There is a lot of practical exposure that will come in handy during your legal career. “I particularly enjoyed the day we spent with one of the firm’s energy clients where we learned how in-house counsel works with Shearman & Sterling,” said Amaka Oditah, a BUILD intern turned trainee. “With plenty of social opportunities, wellbeing and mentoring sessions, the programme is well-rounded and a great introduction to the world of legal practice.”

Follow @ShearmanLaw

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post Opening doors to Black lawyers: How Shearman & Sterling is building a more inclusive workforce appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The former president of the Law Society has joined Magic Circle firm Linklaters as a strategic advisor, supporting the firm in delivering its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) objectives.

I. Stephanie Boyce completed her tenure at Chancery Lane in October 2022, having served as president since March 2021, and before that as vice president since July 2019.

Boyce was the first person of colour and the sixth female to hold the position, as the society’s 177th president in its 197-year history. She was succeeded by another woman of colour, former vice president Lubna Shuja.

Before becoming president, Boyce worked as an in-house solicitor and went on to set up her own consultancy.

Commenting on her new advisory role, Boyce said: “I am delighted to be working with Linklaters to support the firm, colleagues and clients as we seek to address challenges impacting our sector.”

Aedamar Comiskey, firm senior partner and chair added:

“DEI sits at the heart of our vision and strategy. We want our firm to be a place where talented people are given every opportunity to succeed. I. Stephanie will be an inspiring role model for our teams and we look forward to learning from her extensive experience.”

Linklaters has made several moves to improve its efforts around diversity and inclusion in recent years.

Last October the Magic Circle player announced that time spent on DEI activities can count as chargeable time. Prior to that, in 2021, the Links elected its first female senior partner, Aedamar Comiskey.

The post Ex-Law Society president joins Linklaters as diversity and inclusion advisor appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Emilio Fabrizi has never been put off by a challenge. “I love working in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines when the pressure’s on and the euphoria of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges to get the job done,” explains the junior associate who is just starting out in Ropes & Gray’s private equity team.

It’s perhaps unsurprising then that law firm rejections, being state-school educated and having no family members with legal experience never held him back from entering an industry where it can feel like “everyone is from a similar background”.

Indeed, he’s found that feeling of being a bit ‘different’ is actually an advantage. “You should embrace and take pride in your differences because it enables you to bring a different perspective to a matter,” Fabrizi explains. “You’ll add value by seeing something in a way that others can’t and have different skills that you can leverage. Indeed you should take the characteristics that you perceive to be holding you back in life and view them as the precise things that will excel you forward.”

This has helped Fabrizi to rise through the ranks at Ropes & Gray. Having self-funded the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and the Legal Practice Course (LPC) back in 2017/18 he landed a paralegal role in the US outfit’s private equity department — the very department into which he has now qualified as an associate.

For those struggling to get a training contract he highly recommends getting some experience as a paralegal as “it is a really meaningful way of demonstrating you would be a good trainee because you can say not only ‘I can do it’ but also ‘I am doing it now!’”.

The following year he started his training contract in the firm’s leveraged finance team, cutting his teeth on work with a large make-up brand. “I’d actually never heard of the brand before then,” Fabrizi confesses. “But it was really rewarding to go into Boots and see the brand doing well in stores after doing hundreds of hours of work for them as a client! Plus lots of my friends were familiar with the brand so it felt pretty cool to have worked with them.”

After his second seat in IP, IT and Data Protection, Fabrizi headed back to where it had all begun for him at Ropes & Gray: the private equity (PE) team.

The deals Fabrizi says he encountered were big bucks and international, most notably a £1.5 billion takeover of a pharma business. He then had the opportunity to learn more about deal-makers he was working for from the inside. “I feel really lucky to have been able to go on secondment to a FTSE 100 private equity firm,” he explains. “On secondment you really get to know your client and understand their problems, and bringing this experience back to your law firm is invaluable. You can also build on the skills you’ve already learnt and expand your network”, he details, adding: “I even played football with the co-head of PE!”.

Reflecting on the overall experience, Fabrizi praises the autonomy trainees are entrusted with at Ropes & Gray. “You’re allowed to manage yourself and are encouraged to get stuck into the things that really interest you. You are the architect of your own development,” he remarks. In addition to this, he enjoys “the sheer variety of the work and clients, and the satisfaction of getting to grips with all their different business models and figuring out how they work”.

But, besides from the status of Ropes & Gray as “a world-leading PE firm” and the “great quality of the work”, what stands out to Fabrizi the most is the people. “Having great people around you is especially important because being a lawyer is tough,” he notes. “Everyone here is incredibly bright, friendly and supportive — it’s such a collegiate firm and a wonderful place to work.”

Keen to increase diversity in the legal sector, Fabrizi wants to enable students to engage with law firms in as many ways as possible. “Until you actually sit in a department, it’s hard to know what it’s actually like,” he explains. So he and another trainee worked with Ropes & Gray to start a podcast about trainee life at the firm.
“I hope it helps those who are struggling to get a foot in the door at a law firm as they can at least get an ear inside what we do at Ropes & Gray,” says Fabrizi. “It’d be great if this is that extra little thing that helps someone get an open day, onto a vacation scheme or secure a training contract!”

You can learn more about Emilio Fabrizi’s top application tips at our in-person event ‘Black lawyers share their stories at Ropes & Gray’, taking place on Wednesday 23 November, 4pm to 6:30pm. Apply to attend the event, which is free, now.

Follow @RopesGrayGrads

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post From paralegal to junior lawyer at a top US firm appeared first on Legal Cheek.

A bar course grad who used braille during her legal studies is understood to be the first blind and Black woman to be called to the bar of England and Wales

Jessikah Inaba, 23, successfully navigated her way through five years of university by making her own braille notes and transcribing lecture notes.

She was also able to rely on friends to read to her while the University of Law (ULaw) where she studied the bar course provided additional one-on-one sessions to help support her when accessibility to books was impeding her studies.

“It’s been crazy — I still can’t really believe I’ve done it,” explained Inaba. “One day I’ll wake up and realise how amazing this is.”

“It was hard and I often thought of giving up, but my supportive family gave me courage and strength. I always believed in myself from the start — there’s nothing about me which means this isn’t possible,” she said.

“I know I can do this job really well, and the more people like me who go through training the easier it will become,” Inaba continued. “It’s a really good feeling, I know I’m giving hope to others in similar situations to mine. There’s a triple glazed glass ceiling.”

Noting that Inaba “is the first black and blind student to study at The University of Law”, a spokesperson from the law school giant said: “We are extremely proud of Jess’ achievements and we know she will be an inspiration to all students, showing that you can succeed in the face of physical challenges.”

Inaba, who was born with bilateral microphthalmia, a condition which results in babies being born with smaller than usual eyes, now plans to apply for pupillage when applications open in January.

In court she uses an electronic machine with a braille keyboard which enables her to listen, read and edit easily just using her hands.

Mrs Justice McGowan, the treasurer of Inaba’s Inn, Middle Temple, added:

“Being called to the bar is a remarkable achievement. Being called to the bar as a blind person is truly remarkable. The commitment and tenacity she has shown demonstrates that she will be a great success.”

The post Black and blind bar grad speaks of smashing ‘triple-glazed glass ceiling’ to pursue barrister dream appeared first on Legal Cheek.

New data on the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) reveals a gulf between white and black candidates when it comes to passing the new exam that was designed to improve diversity in the profession.

The SQE pathway, which was introduced in September last year, consists of two exams — SQE1 and SQE2 — and two years qualifying work experience (QWE).

This opens up the route to becoming a qualified solicitor as candidates can qualify under the broader definition of QWE that is no longer limited to a two-year training contract at a law firm.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) published the statistics on the July round of SQE1 exams which revealed a huge discrepancy in pass rates between black candidates and other ethnic groups.

White, mixed and Asian ethnic groups saw pass rates of 63%, 58% and 54% respectively, whilst only 23% of black candidates passed the new exam. In terms of the number of candidates, the 756 white and 553 Asian candidates vastly outnumbered their black peers (115).

This is now the second sitting of the SQE1 which reveals such a discrepancy. In January, the SRA revealed that 66% of the 460 white candidates passed the November sitting compared to just 39% of the 67 black candidates. Asian students also saw significantly lower pass rates in the November round (43%) than their white counterparts.

On the January SQE1 figures, the chair of the SRA board Anna Bradley commented:

“We anticipated that we would again see the troubling difference in performance for candidates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups that has been a longstanding and widespread feature in examinations in the legal and other sectors. We know the reasons will be complex and, as well as ongoing review and analysis, we have appointed Exeter University to carry out in-depth research to better understand the factors driving the attainment gap for these groups in professional assessments, so that we can do everything we can to address the issues.”

The post ‘Troubling difference’ in SQE pass rates between white and black candidates appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Magic Circle law firm Linklaters has told its lawyers that time spent on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities can count as chargeable time.

The firm-wide policy, which comes into force from 1 November, aims to recognise its lawyers’ contributions across all three areas and the positive impact it has on the firm and surrounding communities.

Dependent on office location, up to 100 hours of DEI contributions will be considered as chargeable time or taken into account as part of overall performance bonus assessments.

The policy is already in place in the firm’s US offices with Paul Lewis, Linklaters’ firmwide managing partner, commenting: “We have already seen the success of our policy in the US and are pleased to be able to introduce it at a firmwide level — rewarding and recognising those dedicating time and energy to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion and encouraging further meaningful engagement with our global DEI commitments.”

Aedamar Comiskey, firm senior partner and chair added:

“Being a diverse, equitable and inclusive firm is integral to our strategy and remains at the heart of our culture and values. This policy recognises the efforts of individuals across our Linklaters network who help to cultivate our inclusive culture and, in doing so, help to attract the best people and the best clients.”

In 2021 Hogan Lovells rolled out a similar policy which sees time spent on D&I activities count towards its lawyers’ billing targets.

The post Diversity and inclusion efforts count towards billable hours, Linklaters tells lawyers appeared first on Legal Cheek.