We recognise that we are currently in very challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Commentators around the globe have concerns that this may cause a slow down or reversal of progress made around diversity, inclusion and culture in the legal sector.
We think, therefore, that research on the state of the profession will be more needed than ever before to ensure that we can shine a light onto this critical area, supporting both law firms and legal employers in their talent strategy, and supporting diverse and socially disadvantaged talent in their career progression.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to have your say and to help us achieve our goals. This survey data will be used to publish our updated Career Progression Report in Autumn 2020.
2020 SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED
Please click on the link below to be re-directed to the survey, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
Please pass along the link inside your law firms, chambers, legal departments, etc. We are keen to hear from any lawyer working in the United Kingdom including solicitors, barristers, judges, etc.
Due to the recent disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are asking that you complete this survey to reflect your experiences up to February 2020, prior to the current crisis. We plan on repeating this survey in a few years to capture the future state of the legal profession and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on it.
Background to the Career Progression Report
In July 2012, the InterLaw Diversity Forum published its research report, Career Progression in the Legal Sector (also referred to as the Career Progression Report 2012), which was ground-breaking at the time in that it covered all strands of diversity and inclusion as well as social mobility. With data from over 2,000 survey respondents, the report combined hard data on individuals experiences within the legal sector alongside individuals’ perceptions of their own career progression and their perception of the operation of policies and practices in the legal sector. The goal of the exercise was to pinpoint the exact problems these diverse groups were facing and provide recommendations that address and ultimately solve them. The original 2012 report can be found here.
Data Collection in 2017
In 2017, working with Dr. Lisa Webley, Professor of Law and Empirical Studies and the President of the Birmingham School of Law, we collected a new set of data based upon the original 2012 survey. Almost 1,400 lawyers responded to the survey with excellent representation in our sample across all strands of diversity and inclusion, as well as social mobility.
Publication of Career Progression Report 2020
The updated Career Progression Report 2020 will be published this autumn with support from our headline sponsor the SRA. Using three data sets (2012, 2017, and 2020), the updated report will assess what progress has been made in the UK legal sector since the original report in 2012, as well as compare 2017 and 2020. It will track progress, identify barriers, and determine the best ways to effect positive cultural change in the legal sector.
This report will be accompanied by separate, strand-specific fact sheets on Race & Ethnicity (BAME), LGBT+, Gender, Disability and Social Mobility.
Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors whose support have made this report possible.
Main Report
Headline Sponsor - SRA
Fact Sheets
LGBT+ Fact Sheet – Freshfields
BAME Fact Sheet – Alacrity
Gender Fact Sheet – Burford Capital
Social Mobility Fact Sheet – Santander
Additional sponsorship or partnerships are still available for the main report, as well as for the Disability fact sheets.
Confidentiality
As in 2017, the online survey will be conducted using the servers at the University of Westminster.
Any data derived from the survey, including survey responses, will be collected and processed through the University of Westminster account (data controller) held with Online Surveys (data processor: https://www.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/gdpr/). The IT departments of those organisations may have access to your IP address if you choose to participate in this voluntary survey, but otherwise this survey is confidential.
You are not asked to provide your name or any contact details and the questions are designed so that you cannot be identified from your responses. For further information on how the University of Westminster processes your personal data please see their Personal Data Protection Policy .
The InterLaw Diversity Forum will only receive anonymous survey results from the University of Westminster, meaning that we will not have access to, or otherwise process, any personal data of individuals who participate in this survey. We will use this anonymous information to prepare our updated Career Progression Report. Whilst we do not process personal data in this instance, please see our Privacy Policy for information on our data practices.
