Here`s concrete proof of our commitment to diversity: the first executive-led business-to-business collective to improve the representation of black, Asian and ethnic minorities has been launched in the UK legal sector. We understand that now more than ever, our clients are trying to redouble their efforts to make their workplaces more inclusive and attract a more diverse workforce. Here are some resources we`ve created to help employers meet their own commitment to diversity. Our involvement also includes active and creative partnerships with clients and in local and national minority rights organizations, diversity pipeline projects, diversity programs at law school, and public relations. For us, diversity and inclusion is not just about race and gender; It is about creating a workplace that welcomes all generations, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, physical abilities, values, marital status, background and experiences. We want our firm to be a place where the best and brightest can build careers. We know that by fostering a respectful and inclusive environment, we build a stronger company. Companies began planning for the initiative in 2020, recognizing the need to promote diversity and inclusion in the industry and jointly address the challenges they faced to increase representation. Today, Legal CORE (Collaboration on Race and Ethnicity) is launched, the first executive-led inter-company collective that aims to tackle the under-representation of black, Asian and ethnic minorities in the UK legal industry. The eight founding firms – Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May – came together in 2020 to promote and strengthen diversity and inclusion in the industry and jointly address the challenges they face to increase their representation.
According to the Law Society, black, Asian and ethnic minorities are underrepresented at the partner level in the top 50 law firms, with twice as many white lawyers represented. Other research by the Law Society and the Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division found that Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority lawyers reported lower workplace well-being compared to White lawyers. In addition, retention rates of black, Asian, and ethnic minority lawyers in large urban companies are lower than those of their white counterparts. Diversity and inclusion leaders and senior partners from each Legal CORE firm will host a short-notice leadership forum to facilitate conversations about the use of racial diversity and explore how change can be made in their businesses. Legal CORE (Collaboration on Race and Ethnicity) is an executive-led cross-company collective that aims to tackle the under-representation of ethnic minorities in the UK legal sector. As part of our commitment to fostering a truly diverse workplace that values and celebrates differences, we offer diversity scholarships to outstanding law students who share this commitment. We will work with other existing groups, networks, organizations and subject matter experts focused on diversity and inclusion to enhance collective action. Paul Stacey, Executive Partner at Slaughter and May and Co-Chair of Legal CORE, said: « We know that there needs to be a greater focus on Black representation and better ethnicity in law firms.
When we met as a group last year, we all agreed that companies can move forward by acting unilaterally, but at the end of the day, we all have similar challenges, so a sector-wide approach will have a more lasting impact. Legal CORE`s mission is to significantly increase the representation of Blacks, Asians and ethnic minorities in private practice and to work together to drive action and enable fundamental change in the legal sector. The founding companies worked together last year to form the collective and are now inviting other companies to join them. The group focuses on action-oriented initiatives and collaborative solutions to retain and nurture ethnically diverse talent. Over the coming months, Legal CORE, comprised of diversity and inclusion leaders and senior partners from each firm, will be: Leaders from eight firms, including Linklaters and HSF, created the group to improve engagement and progress for Black, Asian and ethnic minorities in the legal sector. This initiative aims to focus on advocating for diversity and to create guiding principles to be applied in these companies with regard to the representation of black and ethnic minorities. It is hoped that this initiative will allow for the planning of several events and attract the interest of more law firms to a crucial topic in the legal sector today. At a time when the vast majority of law firms are conscious of supporting diversity and inclusion, Legal Core reflects a perfect match between competing firms, leaving aside competitiveness and focusing on this important issue. This includes high-level sponsorships, D&I executives, and legal and corporate service providers from across the industry to ensure grassroots engagement. The eight founding firms – Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May – came together in 2020 to promote and strengthen diversity and inclusion in the industry and jointly address the challenges they face to increase their representation. True diversity in the workplace means providing all employees with the tools, training and mentors they need to succeed. This means accepting the importance of diversity in our client teams.
It looks beyond our four walls and encourages community engagement and participation in local and national diversity initiatives. It means leading by example in our profession. Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May and several other major law firms have decided to work together to tackle the under-representation of black, Asian and ethnic minorities in the UK legal sector. The group, which also includes Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, Macfarlanes and Norton Rose Fulbright, will launch Wednesday after diversity and inclusion leaders and experts from some companies agreed with them to discuss deep diversity issues within the industry in 2020. They will host a business-to-business hackathon and invite participants from across the legal sector to come together and brainstorm ideas on how to improve ethnic minority retention and progress. Another initiative will be the creation of a best practices forum to share collective successes and challenges on topics such as data analytics, reverse mentoring, and Black talent retention. Legal CORE is another step towards improving the balance of law firm diversity. Paul Stacey, executive partner at Slaughter and May and co-chair of Legal CORE, said there needs to be « more emphasis on Black representation and improving other ethnicities in law firms. On a special and unprecedented occasion in the legal industry, several of the UK`s leading law firms (Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Slaughter and May, Herbert Smith Freehills and others) have joined forces to create the Legal Core platform to support racial diversity. The aim of the new initiative is to significantly increase the representation of ethnic minorities in private practice by working together to stimulate action and enable fundamental change across the legal sector.