Diversity is a virtue, but one with which many industries in the UK struggle to this day. Discriminatory hiring practices, poor working environments, and outdated attitudes to marginalised communities have contributed to a lack of diversity in key areas.

Within the field of law, legal firms have been coming under particular fire for some damning statistics relating to staff diversity. According to recent data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, women remain significantly underrepresented in law firms – and, while the number of Black and Asian lawyers had increased in recent years, there was no increase in uptake of Black lawyers in 2021. 

However, there is one global law firm which has bucked the trend, by dramatically exceeding diversity targets as part of a five-year plan to improve representation. Litigation lawyers Squire Patton Boggs have made significant improvements to their recruitment process and staff retention measures and introduced a number of key schemes to boost equity in important fields. Here is how they did it. 

Diversity Figures

A significant portion of Squire Patton Boggs’ diversity measures were dialled in on the improvement of staff recruitment and retention policies. Before the commencement of the five-year plan, the firm’s UK staff representation was 17% for women and 13% for ethnic minorities. 

As a result of new initiatives and changes made to hiring, the percentage of women partners had increased to 21% – beating out a 20% target by a year. Minority representation had also increased by 1%, putting the firm on track to attain 19% by 2026. 

This performance was made possible through a multi-faceted approach to improvement, including revision of family policies and collaboration with legal organisations from the Black Solicitors Network to the Reignite Academy.

Corporate Equality Index

In terms of LGBTQIA+ representation, the firm also received a perfect score for the 14th consecutive year from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation – confirming the firm’s commitment to equality and equity. The perfect score came with the designation “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality”, as a result of the firm’s robust equitable benefits program and global company culture.

The Racial Justice Fellowship

As part of the Squire Patton Boggs Foundation’s Sustained Impact Fellowship Program, the firm announced a Racial Justice Fellowship to provide opportunities for law students to effect meaningful change in their communities. In the aftermath of the George Floyd tragedy, the Fellowship placed three outstanding candidates with vital organisations, enabling them to work for change with regard to voter rights and juvenile justice in the US.

The above directives constitute Year One of a five-year plan for diversity in law and represent a resounding success for the movement. For this law firm, there is much more to come as they continue with their plan and lead by example within their field as they go.