Winckworth Sherwood was delighted to attend the launch event for the Breaking Down Barriers into Law project at the Houses of Parliament last week. The project has connected a wide range of regional and mid-sized law firms from across the country, via a series of workshops focused on ‘Outreach’, ‘Access’, ‘Recruitment’ and ‘Progression’, dedicated to improving the legal sector’s social mobility footprint. The launch event was the celebration of the Action Plan that has emerged from these sessions and is a visible commitment from the firms present to promote our sector to a broader range of students and work more closely together on social mobility initiatives.
Ash Evans, Winckworth Sherwood’s Recruitment Manager, who has been leading on the project on behalf of the firm commented:
“I’ve really enjoyed representing the firm on this project. I’ve always believed that diversity of thought through recruiting people from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences, strengthens the workplace and promotes greater access to problem solving, ideas sharing and a greater sense of purpose.
Although we already have a vibrant and active EDI network and have implemented recruitment practices (such as contextual recruitment, blind screening and inclusive gender-neutral job adverts), there is always more to do in this space. It’s been fantastic to learn from other firms how they are approaching this issue within our sector and broadening access to a career in law.”
Leasha Lynch, an Associate in our Real Estate team, who attended the ‘Access’ workshop commented:
“As someone who came from a low socio-economic background, I know first-hand the difficulties we face in trying to break into a profession such as law, which is seen as elitist and only available to those from a wealthier background. It is therefore very encouraging to see that these issues are being brought to the forefront of firms’ minds, especially with MPs and the Attorney General giving it their backing which emphasises the importance of social mobility. I have enjoyed being a part of this process and hope that by sharing my own experiences, it can help to enact the change that is needed in our sector.”
You can find out more about the project at The Breaking Down Barriers Commission.
