BSN adds social mobility questions to league tables research
The Black Solicitors Network (BSN) is planning to probe law firms about the social backgrounds of their lawyers in its latest survey.
The BSN will be sending out questionnaires to the UK’s top law firms and barristers’ chambers next week, inviting them to participate in the research exercise, which will be used to compile its annual Diversity League Table.
Chair of the BSN Nwabueze Nwokolo said: “Through our many initiatives, which includes the Diversity League Table consultation, the BSN has worked consistently over the years to widen meaningful participation and access.
“Working with our partners we’re trying to move things forward in terms of creating a legal workforce drawn from the most meritorious. The inclusion of questions about the social background of lawyers, and lawyers to be, represents an important new phase of the consultation.”
The new questions focus on the type of schools a firm’s lawyers attended and the steps it is taking to promote social mobility including recruitment and retention.
Magic circle firm Linklaters and London set 1 Crown Office Row topped the overall diversity tables in 2010 (read more).
The Diversity League Table reporting covers four main diversity strands; gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disabilities. Looking at the demographic make-up of firms and chambers, the results are presented as a series of organisation profiles and a series of leagues tables; ranking participants in key areas, as well as presenting an overall ranking, the Diversity League Table.
The results are expected to be published in October.
Source : The Lawyer