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Law Society of Ireland
The Law Society has challenged tradition and is creating opportunities to improve access to the solicitors’ profession and leadership roles within
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Arepresentative and regulatory body of the solicitors’ profession in Ireland, the Law Society is committed to improving access to the profession, and representation of women and diverse groups.
The Law Society recognises that taking action to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion (GEDI) within the solicitors’ profession has never been more important and this cannot be a one-off initiative. Meaningful progress requires consistent and collective efforts.
SETTING FOUNDATIONS The Law Society has embedded GEDI policies into its everyday thinking, challenges the status quo and is creating more opportunities to improve access to the solicitors’ profession.
A pivotal moment in this journey was the establishment of the Law Society’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. In February 2019, the Task Force, which comprised 16 members from various minority, disability and LGBT+ backgrounds, met for the fi rst time to discuss the challenges facing the profession. The objectives of this group were twofold: to facilitate and encourage more female solicitors and solicitors from diverse backgrounds to run for leadership positions in the profession, and to provide meaningful resources to improve equality and diversity in the profession.
Senior Vice-President of the Law Society and Chairperson of the GEDI Task Force, Michelle Ní Longáin, is leading the charge with the Law Society’s GEDI initiatives. “The future that the Law Society is working towards involves more women in leadership roles and a more diverse and inclusive solicitors’ profession. To achieve this, we know we must identify the barriers
The Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force of the Law Society of Ireland
facing our colleagues and those seeking to access the profession, and tackle them head on.”
The Task Force’s aims and the fi nal recommendations recognise that the work of achieving equality, diversity and inclusion in the profession cannot rest with individuals from under-represented communities alone. For the Law Society, it was vital for those currently in leadership to take proactive steps to ensure that all solicitors feel valued, respected and supported.
LAW SOCIETY OF IRELAND
FROM POLICY TO ACTION A formal GEDI policy and training were just some of the many recommendations arising from the group. In May 2020, the Law Society launched its Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter, an important milestone in an ongoing programme of actions. Solicitors’ workplaces are invited to pledge their names to the Charter as a demonstration of their commitment to the GEDI principles.
“The Law Society has been a proud signatory of this Charter since its inception and is now joined by over 120 solicitors’ workplaces committed to upholding the same principles. Signatories are published on a dedicated webpage, www.lawsociety.ie/GEDI, and exclusive use of the Charter’s insignia is encouraged,” said Ms Ní Longáin.
“The Society’s GEDI Policy can also be found on the webpage. Developed in conjunction with the Irish Centre for Diversity, the GEDI Policy is a free resource to help our members to formally outline their commitment to GEDI within their workplaces.”
INCREASING ACCESS Recognising the fi nancial and logistical barriers to the solicitors’ profession, the Law Society actively works towards improving experiences for the next generation of solicitors through a range of initiatives.
Launched in 2020, the Small Practice Traineeship Grant offers fi ve grants worth €25,000 each year to assist with the cost of employing a trainee solicitor. This grant is open to fi rms of fi ve solicitors or less that are based outside of Dublin and the urban districts of Cork, Galway and Limerick.
“The goal is to keep solicitors in their local communities to provide a much needed service,” said Ms Ní Longáin. “In addition, the Law Society’s Access Scholarship Programme has been running since 2001 and assists students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with fi nancial support. This covers everything from childcare costs, travel and exam fees right through to maintenance supports until qualifi cation. To date, 300 recipients have benefi tted from this programme with 1 in 4 recipients being from a country other than Ireland.”
“Access to the profession has also improved through our PPC Hybrid course, which combines online lectures with face-to-face tuition to provide a fl exible route to practice without the traditional requirement to be onsite at the Law Society. It is designed specifi cally to suit people based outside Dublin who might not be able to enter the profession without this fl exibility.”
INTRODUCTION TO LAW While fi nancial access may be one barrier to the profession, the Law Society is also working to encourage more young people from diverse backgrounds to consider a career as a solicitor.
To achieve this, the Law Society runs a range of innovative Public Legal Education initiatives including Street Law, the Legal Ambitions Summer School and the Solicitors of the Future Programme.
“Over 3,500 DEIS students in Dublin have taken part in Street Law since 2013, while our Solicitors of the Future Programme has been running since 2017. This year, for the second time, the Legal Ambitions Summer School offered four weeks of free online legal education to transition year students across the country. All three of these programmes provide students with an introduction to the law.”
GENDER EQUALITY The Law Society of Ireland has always been a forerunner in gender equality, with the solicitors’ profession in Ireland having been the fi rst legal profession in the world to reach a female majority in 2014. However, this has yet to be refl ected at leadership levels. Meaningful progress is being made through the Society’s Women in Leadership Mentoring Programme, which has matched 118 successful pairs to date.
“There is a clear need to support women to reach leadership roles at all levels,” said Ms Ní Longáin. “Our mentoring programme has been running since 2016 and assists with this aim. It matches early-career solicitors with those in senior roles to empower women to help them reach leadership positions within the profession.”
“It is important to highlight and support the great diversity already in the profession, so visibility, and the language we use on all our platforms, is important,” Ms Ní Longáin said. “Each month, the Law Society Gazette profi les fi rst-hand stories from solicitors across the profession, including perspectives from the LGBT+ and Traveller communities, solicitors with disabilities, ethnic minority solicitors and working parents. We will continue to feature stories and champion our members to help foster an inclusive culture within the profession.”
GROWING TOGETHER The GEDI Task Force’s recommendations continue to guide the refi nement of existing, and the creation of new, initiatives to improve gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the solicitors’ profession.
From entry to retirement, offering better access, career supports and training, the Law Society is committed to improving the lived experiences of all our members and those trying to enter the solicitors’ profession.
