The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales releases reports on diversity and equality in training

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published two new research reports, the first looking at Bar training providers’ approaches to equality and diversity and the second examining students’ experiences of these approaches. The reports form part of the Board’s commitment to ensuring that access to training for the Bar is open to all on…

I Think I Can: How Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulation Impacts Black and Latinx Bar Examinees

This study examined experiences of bar exam takers of color who passed on either the first or the second time. The theories of self-efficacy and self-regulation served as a conceptual framework for this study and were used to shape the interview questions as well as the data analysis. Eight participants were interviewed who graduated from…

Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales publishes first ethnicity pay gap report

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published its first ethnicity pay gap report. The ethnicity pay gap shows the difference between the mean or median hourly pay received by White staff and staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background, employed at the regulator. Around nine out of ten staff disclosed their ethnicity, with 66…

The Canadian Bar Association has released a report into gender pay equity in the legal market

The Canadian Bar Association  has released Pay Equity in the Legal Profession, a report outlining the results of a roundtable held by the CBA Women Lawyers Forum in 2021. The goal of the roundtable was to gather qualitative data on Canadian lawyers’ experiences, perceptions, and opinions about gender and pay equity in the profession. The…

Law Council of Australia’s 2016 policy to improve equity in the profession hits milestone

The Law Council of Australia’s 2016 policy to improve equity in the legal profession has achieved its central aim. The Equitable Briefing Policy 2016 aimed to have female barristers receive  instructions in 30% of all matters by 1st July 2020. A recent report states this goal has been achieved, with 31% of all instructions going…

Supporting the health and wellbeing of Black attorneys in Illinois

The Commission highlighted the long-held stigma of seeking help for mental health, as well as the daily microaggressions, the residual affects of intergenerational trauma and overt acts of racism as being unique stressors for Black attorneys. Dr. Arline Geronimus coined the term “weathering effect” to evoke the emotional erosion that comes with the constant stress of racism….

The National Association of Law Placement in the USA has reported diversity to be at an all time high

On 12 January 2022 the National Association of Law Placement released its annual Report on Diversity in US Law Firms. The report announced significant gains in the diversity of new entrants into the legal profession in 2021. Summer associates showed the highest level of diversity amongst all groups of lawyers, with people of colour growing…

Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales publishes latest annual reports

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its suite of annual reports, which cover five core topics, these are: ‘Anti-money Laundering‘, ‘Authorisation‘, ‘Client Protection‘, ‘Education and Training‘ and ‘Upholding Professional Standards‘. Key findings from the reports include: There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of solicitors qualifying through apprenticeships, firms offering recognised training…

Bar Standards Board of England and Wales publishes new statistics on the outcomes of complaints about barristers

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a new statistical analysis examining the outcomes of complaints made about barristers in England and Wales between January 2015 and October 2019. The research was particularly focused on investigating the relationship between the outcomes of, and the likelihood of a complaint being made, and specific characteristics of barristers,…

Brought to you by ICLR.