RETENTION OF WOMEN IN LAW EVENT

The conclusion of this survey was that there are clear benefits for firms and consumers concerning the use of DCTs. However, it is early days and four main barriers were identified to their use. These were:

• a lack of public awareness

• the limited number of firms engaging with such sites

• the complex nature of legal services

• how infrequently individuals actually need to shop around for legal support.

There is also the issue of anonymity. Most clients would wish to remain anonymous because of the confidential nature of legal work making it more difficult to know whether the reviews are genuine. Damaging or even malicious reviews by dissatisfied clients engaged in complaints to the firm and/or the Legal Ombudsman would also be a challenge.

Finally, the elephant in the room –commerciality. DCTs are not charities. They exist to make a profit. Adverts, payments to appear as a preferred supplier on the comparison website and commissions secret or otherwise could muddy the waters of the trusted relationship between solicitor and client and possibly interest the SRA.

In conclusion, it is clear that the SRA and other regulators involved believe that the pilot scheme was a useful starting point. They intend to carry this research forward drawing other bodies such as the Legal Ombudsman, HM Land Registry and HM Courts and Tribunal Services into the picture. The desire is to see what information is already publicly available about firms and how it could be used. For those interested, the report of this pilot scheme is available on the SRA’s website.The SRA have also published other information on comparison sites, some of it aimed at the public in an effort to raise awareness of them.

In the meantime, firms might want to consider whether they could use DCTs in conjunction with their clients to promote the quality of their services. DCTs will not suit everyone. To take the insurance market as an example, some insurers such as Direct Line and NFU refuse to appear on comparison sites and plough their own marketing furrow in terms of their commercial offering and reputation and are very successful as a result. It will depend upon the nature of your business but it is worth thinking about as the regulators have it on their radar for the future. Forewarned is forearmed!

June saw some exciting developments in regard to the work we are doing within Birmingham to support the retention of women in the legal sector. Following the article that I wrote for our bulletin in Apr/May, an incredible panel gathered at No5 Barristers Chambers to discuss the issue in greater depth and share some best practices writes Rebecca Mander.

Tony McDaid and I were joined by Dipika Mistry (Shakespeare Martineau), Ian Jones (Spencer Shaw), Yetunde Dania (Trowers and Hamlins), Alex Bishop (Shoosmiths) and Emma Rush (Irwin Mitchell) for an evening of fascinating conversation and debate.

An overriding theme was intersectionality and how much greater the struggle is for women of an ethnic minority or those from less affluent socio-economic backgrounds, where there is surprisingly little data and more discussion to be had. It was so wonderful to see all the firms collaborating rather than competing on the playing field of gender parity and we are excited about the wider conversations that have ensued as a result of the evening.

So many of the audience were more junior lawyers who were grateful for the evening timings, as they would not have had the ability to leave the business during working hours. Feedback was of empowerment and inspiration listening to the panel and hearing from lawyers who were further ahead on their journey. Afterwards there were many powerful and insightful conversations, with many sharing experiences and advice with each other. We have now achieved the start of a wider network and would welcome others to join us at future discussions.

Recently, I met with Catherine Edwards and Tony McDaid so we could ensure the conversation continues. We are planning another panel discussion later in the year and would love to reignite the Birmingham Law Society gender sub-committee with events and projects to promote the retention of women in the legal sector. The sub-committee is currently encouraging members and nonmembers to deliver copies of Judge Brenda - Equal to Everything (a children’s book about Lady Hale) to all primary schools within Birmingham. Deliveries will start again when term starts in September - feel free to join us as we still have 100 of the 259 to go!

Would you be interested in getting involved with either book deliveries or the gender sub-committee? If so, please register your interest using this QR code!