Getting us all in the room where it happens

As we celebrate 75 years of the Law Society of Scotland, it feels fitting to pause and reflect on work being done to ensure equity of access to, and success within, the legal profession in Scotland.

This reflection has prompted me to ruminate on the current landscape of the work of diversifying Scotland’s legal profession and offer some thoughts on a future profession, and our collective role in shaping it.

Diversity is an overused word

Diversity is becoming an overused word and is at risk of burning itself out. Coming from a Head of Diversity that might seem counter-intuitive, but allow me to explain!

I worry that the word itself and particularly uses of initialisms related to the work (EDI, DEI, CSR, ESG, and so on) can in fact confuse and leave people behind. Bringing people along on a journey of change requires strong messages, as well as more subtle notes. The risk is that for those outwith the work itself, diversity and its various acronyms can themselves be ‘othering’, which does not help.

Broadly, we tend to think we know what diversity, and its associated initialisms, means. But the truth is its precise meaning and emphasis shifts in any given context.

The language has to change as our understanding deepens and becomes more nuanced. Who better, then, to grapple with that than lawyers, whose craft relies so heavily on clarity of language?

By being clear about what, specifically, we mean in any discussion around diversity and by taking the time to explain, by presuming that at least one person in each audience does not know what we mean, then we can ensure we bring everyone along.

Clarity is essential so that our work reaches who it is intended to reach.

It's everyone’s job

Since I started at the Society in summer 2024, I have promoted the ethos that diversity is everyone’s job.

The lens through which we focus our work on including those who are under-represented, marginalised and otherwise excluded needs clear leadership and direction. It also needs that leadership to embed considerations of diversity, inclusion and belonging into all our work. This is to ensure effective scrutiny of processes, systems and initiatives, so that we might eventually eradicate the need for separate conversations. But it begins and it is empowered through conversations.

I have a vision where diversity ceases to be part of the conversation, because we’ve genuinely made the changes we set out to make. I am on the record saying ‘While any first is a cause for celebration, true equity will come when we have no more to count.’ This is as true of wider diversity considerations as it is for gender (which that particular article focused on) and it is with this energy and thrust we need to push forward together.

While we have undeniably made great progress in 75 years, we are still a long way off the equity we know we deserve both in society and as a profession. And, of course, beyond counting the firsts, ensuring inclusion and belonging goes hand-in-hand with all this work.

Getting people in the room

There is a big ‘but’ in all of this and it comes up time and time again. How do we get the right people in the room?

This is always two-sided for me:

1. how do we ensure the profession is accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of everyone with equal chance to enter, progress and succeed? (i.e. everyone has equal access to ‘the room’) and
2. how do we get the right people in the rooms where discussions on these important issues are taking place? (i.e. how do we encourage those who do not appear to make time for conversations on diversity, inclusion and belonging? How do we broaden event attendance?)

With a view to bringing together existing good work and encouraging collaboration we are launching a new network in early 2025.

It will be open to all who have an interest in diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in the legal profession. This might be professionals working in law firms/organisations that employ solicitors in HR-related roles, or partners with specific responsibility or interest in these areas.

We hope to bring people together within the network with a view to sharing initiatives, progress, thoughts, and more. We’ll share more on this in the new year.

The idea for the network has been borne out of countless conversations with law firms who ask ‘what does the Law Society want from us when it comes to diversity?’ I always ask ‘what do you need from the Law Society to empower your work in that area?’ The thing that comes up time and time again is access to ideas and to hearing others’ successes and lessons.

It’s time to share!