TBC: Our aim: Building a more inclusive profession

In 2018, we published our most recent Profile of the Profession report. In response, we launched a blueprint for a more inclusive profession. This outlines our priorities to improve equality and diversity for the five years until 2023. In 2023 our major focus will be to run Profile of the Profession survey and to report on the results. Each year – as part of our annual planning process – we will emphasise the headline projects, processes and events we are focusing on at that time.

The five overarching themes from our response to the 2018 Report are as follows:

• Retaining talented people
• Ensuring fairness around pay and progression
• Ending bullying and harassment in the profession
• Members being able to be their whole selves at work
• Reflecting Scotland’s population now and in the future

Since the publication of the report in late 2018, we have undertaken a range of major inclusion initiatives, including:

• A series of gender equality roundtables looking more deeply into some of the issues identified in profile
• Launching an inclusion calendar that celebrates the diversity of our membership throughout the year, such as religious festivals, Prides, and days such as International Women’s Day, International Men’s Day, and International Day of People with Disabilities.
• Running a programme of webinars, seminars and other events covering a variety of subjects.
• Running a programme of webinars "Conversations on Progression" looking at careers progression for women in the profession across a number of areas, inlcuding leading a law firm, developing your career in England and Wales, and in co-operation with the Judicial Appointments Board, developing your career in the judiciary.
• Publishing ground-breaking menopause awareness support, flexible working advice and information and remote working advice and information.
• Hosted a Celebrating Inclusion Law Fair and a Summer School.
• Worked with the International Bar Association on its Us Too? report.
• Collecting diversity data from members at 2020/21 PC renewal for the first time.

If you or your firm or organisation would like to find out more about any of our work or would like to co-operate on an event, blog or have any ideas in this area please get get in touch at diversity@lawscot.org.uk