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Eversheds heads effort to increase diversity

Having worked in private practice for almost 10 years, I honestly do not believe for a second that there is any discrimination within law firms on the grounds of skin colour. I do not know a single one of my colleagues who would make any distinction between a black/white/asian candidate at an interview. I think the real "diversity" problem is not so much race, as it is social class. There are several black lawyers in my department (City firm), but they mostly come from the quintissential privileged background- private school all their life, followed by a top uni. The truth is, that it certainly makes it more difficult for those who haven't come from such a background (educated parents, private school etc) to feel at home in a City law firm. Distinguishing on the basis of ethnic background/skin colour however, and trying to increase the amount of people from ethnic minorities in law firms is totally the wrong way to go about things.

3-Sep-2009

6:20 pm