Welcome to our blog. We're on a mission to change the legal industry for the better. Browse our blog for industry insights, career tips, human stories and everything inbetween.

The Flex Legal blog

Welcome to our blog. We're on a mission to change the legal industry for the better. Follow our blog for industry insights, career tips, human stories, and everything in-between. Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter too!

The Flex Legal Blog

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Welcome to our blog. We're on a mission to make the legal industry more human and agile. Follow our blog for Flex Legal stories, industry news and views, and career tips. Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter too!

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Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been under increasing scrutiny in recent years. While the legal profession has made strides in creating more inclusive workplaces, shifting political attitudes and growing resistance to DEI initiatives has caused some organisations to scale back their efforts. This trend is concerning, as it threatens to undo the progress made in building equal opportunities within the legal industry. However, at Flex Legal, we remain committed to levelling the playing field and ensuring that diverse talent has the opportunity to shine.

Despite years of progress, many businesses are deprioritising diversity efforts in response to political and economic pressures. Some critics argue that DEI initiatives are no longer necessary or that they place unnecessary burdens on organisations. As a result, companies are reducing budgets for diversity programmes, cutting inclusive hiring initiatives, and deprioritising social mobility schemes.

However, the data tells a different story. Diverse teams are 33% more likely to outperform their competitors, and legal professionals, particularly junior lawyers, still place a high value on working for organisations that align with their ethical and moral values. According to our recent survey, 60.6% of respondents believe it is ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important to have the ability to decline assignments based on ethical considerations, and 74.5% feel confident in understanding their ethical responsibilities. These figures highlight the continued demand for an ethical and inclusive legal workplace.

The legal profession in the UK continues to grapple with significant socio-economic disparities. According to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, only [18%](https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/equality-diversity/diversity-profession/diverse-legal-profession/) of lawyers come from working-class backgrounds, compared to [48%](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-barometer-2021/social-mobility-barometer-public-attitudes-to-social-mobility-in-the-uk) of the general population. This gap will persist without targeted intervention, limiting access to the profession for talented individuals from underrepresented groups.

To address this imbalance, legal teams must implement inclusive recruitment strategies. From expanding recruitment channels to reach a broader talent pool to partnering with organisations focused on social mobility, there are many ways to promote inclusive hiring practices.

Priya Sharma, a Flex Trainee at Vodafone, reinforces this need for proactive recruitment strategies: “Creating a more inclusive hiring process requires a proactive approach. Companies need to seek out candidates from diverse backgrounds and recognise the unique perspectives they bring. This not only enriches the workplace but also strengthens the organisation’s ability to serve a diverse clientele.”

One of the most effective ways to support diverse talent is through mentorship. Research shows that individuals with mentors are 130% more likely to hold leadership positions, yet many aspiring legal professionals lack access to these critical support systems.

Shengul Seymert, a Flex Trainee at NatWest, highlights the importance of structured mentorship programmes: “By developing and delivering mentorship and internship programmes targeted at underrepresented groups, legal teams can not only provide invaluable experience to individuals but also help to prepare candidates for job openings within the legal teams. This cultivates an inclusive environment and a higher retention rate of diverse talent.”

Flex Legal’s trainee scheme is designed to bridge this gap, offering trainees guidance, networking opportunities, and career development support. We understand that building a truly diverse and inclusive legal profession requires action at every stage of the talent pipeline. Our Flex Trainee programme is designed to break down barriers, providing aspiring legal professionals with the support, mentorship, and opportunities they need to succeed.

Through partnerships with leading organisations, we connect candidates from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds with meaningful career opportunities, ensuring that talent, not privilege, determines success in the legal sector.

As businesses scale back on DEI initiatives, the need for programmes like Flex Trainee has never been greater. The legal profession must continue to prioritise equal opportunities, ensuring that all aspiring lawyers, regardless of background, have a fair chance to succeed.

If your legal team is serious about building a more inclusive future, now is the time to act. Programmes like Flex Trainee aren’t just about filling gaps, they’re about creating real, lasting change in the legal profession. By opening doors to talented individuals from all walks of life, we can build stronger, more representative teams that reflect the society we serve.

Learn more about Flex Trainee

The legal profession’s diversity dilemma: Who gets left behind?

At Flex, we imagine a legal industry where every voice is heard, every talent is nurtured, and diversity is more than a buzzword, it’s the cornerstone of success. 

We believe that cultivating a truly inclusive culture is essential to the future of law. That’s why we’re proud to present our latest **Inclusivity Report for 2024**, offering deep insights into how the legal sector is evolving and where change is still needed.

This year’s report explores future legal professionals' expectations, concerns, and experiences. It highlights the significance of socio-economic diversity and discusses resources and tools aimed at promoting inclusivity, the findings shed light on the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Read the full report by clicking the link below and join the discussion.

READ THE REPORT

## What is included in the report?

- **The Importance of Socio-Economic Diversity** - Strategies for inclusive hiring.
- **Mentorship & Support Networks** - The power of mentorship in nurturing future leaders.
- **Inclusive Training & Development** - How investing in trainees improves company productivity.
- **Creating an Inclusive Culture** -  The benefits of inclusive leadership can improve team performance and encourage inclusive workplaces.
- **Resources & Tools for Promoting Inclusivity** - Structured interviews, inclusive job descriptions, and bias training.

Flex Legal's Inclusivity Report 2024/25

Inclusivity Report 2024

Inclusion is everything. Studies have repeatedly shown that higher workplace inclusion directly contributes to increased productivity, wellbeing, and staff retention. Flex Legal are proud of the reputation we have built in this space, and now want to share our insights with the wider legal industry.

We’ve sought direct input from participants in our award winning social-mobility scheme, Flex Trainee, and distilled them into actionable lessons you can apply to your own legal team. We hope that by sharing this information you will join us in our mission to make the industry we love more inclusive.

## What is included in the report?

- 10 practical, actionable tips for boosting inclusion in your legal workplace.
- Direct insights from socially-mobile trainee solicitors.
- Two comprehensive case studies on how FTSE100 organisations have partnered with Flex to make the industry more diverse and inclusive.
- Breakdowns of how solicitor qualification is changing, and why it matters.
- Cutting-edge thinking from the forefront of D&I in the legal profession.

Inclusivity Report Banner - with cover and pages from the printed report in a fan

Inclusivity in the legal profession: Practical advice for your team

Inclusivity in the legal profession: Practical advice for your team 2023

Before the Flex Trainee scheme launched in October 2021, there were several organisations we were very keen to partner with. [The Crown Estate](https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/) was chief amongst them. As a [uniquely-founded corporate entity](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/9-10/55/contents) that handles one of the country’s largest and most varied land and property portfolios (including the seabed), working within The Crown Estate’s legal department would provide a training experience like no other.

Of course, the scheme represented a significant commitment. Whilst it aligned with the social mobility aims of The Crown Estate, they had never before taken a legal trainee into their ranks. Accordingly, concerns were raised about the financial, logistical, and administrative aspects of taking on a trainee. Fortunately, the Flex Trainee scheme has been meticulously designed in consideration of all of these factors.

After meeting with Flex Legal’s CEO, [Mary Bonsor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-bonsor-8a270859/), to discuss the practicalities of the scheme, The Crown Estate were convinced and agreed to participate in the scheme. Now, more than a year later, we’re delighted to say that the arrangement is working out tremendously well for all concerned parties, and The Crown Estate are preparing to welcome their second Flex Trainee to the organisation.

## **How The Crown Estate became interested in Flex Trainee**

The Flex Trainee scheme was originally conceived as a social mobility scheme, designed to take advantage of the legal industry’s adoption of [the Solicitors Qualifying Examination](https://www.sra.org.uk/become-solicitor/sqe/). By introducing the means to circumnavigate the [widely discussed “training contract bottleneck”](https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/blog/will-the-sqe-affect-diversity-in-the-legal-profession), the SRA hoped that phasing in the SQE would open legal qualification up to a wider pool of talent.  
  
Increasing access to the profession, especially amongst historically under-represented demographics, has long been close to the heart of Flex Legal. We realised that by retrofitting [our established agency-worker business model](https://flex.legal/why) around the SQE, we could engineer win-win trainee scenarios to help improve social mobility within the legal industry, and offer organisations like The Crown Estate a valuable junior resource. Not only are The Crown Estate a fascinating and unique business, but they are [organisationally committed to social mobility](https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/en-gb/about-us/the-value-we-create/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/).

When Mary met with The Crown Estate team, a central point of discussion was how an SQE trainee might interface with the incredibly unique nature of their work. They also explained our partnership with [STRIVE](https://www.strivetalent.org/opportunities/flex-trainee-programme), and how Flex Trainee would enable The Crown Estate to develop in-house junior talent without the admin or risks of employing directly. They were incredibly interested.

“*The Crown Estate is delighted to be involved with the Flex Trainee programme, which enables us to hire a very talented individual and help her to achieve her ambition of qualifying as a solicitor. What is particularly important to us is that, through STRIVE’s involvement, the programme is perfectly aligned with our commitment to broaden access to those who have potential but may otherwise lack the opportunity to prove themselves. I commend Mary for her excellent initiative.*” - **Nicholas Cheffings, Special Advisor, former Interim Head of Legal, at The Crown Estate**

## **Preparing an SQE Trainee to work with The Crown Estate**

We scheduled some early-stage interviews with The Crown Estate’s senior legal team and a selection of suitable potential trainees. Flex Legal’s core on-demand business takes pride in *perfectly* matching junior legal talent with legal teams, and Flex Trainee is no different. After meeting the candidates, the incredible [Ghazhal Noory](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghazhal-noory-55057118a/) stood out as the perfect match for The Crown Estate. They noted that “*she will be an asset to the team and a good addition to the business”.*

Before Ghazhal’s placement began, she underwent Flex Trainee’s bespoke “readiness programme” alongside the rest of her cohort. This four week intensive training course aims to equip all trainees with the hard and soft workplace skills they will need to hit the ground running and add value from day one of their placement. It’s a mixture of talks, workshops, and practical exercises delivered by our Head of Learning and Development, [Sophie Gould](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-gould-95832316/).

Ghazhal noted: “*There were two sessions that really stood out to me. The first session I took lots of value from was the interviewing and presentation exercise where we were tasked with doing a SWOT analysis of Flex. It helped me understand the different functions of a business, what questions to ask to gather key information, and how to present my findings in the best way. The second session I really enjoyed was the contracts session we had with a GC with tips on good contract drafting (e.g. terminology to use, definitions etc.).*”

## **The Crown Estate’s first ever legal trainee**

Ghazhal emerged from the readiness programme with her professional aptitude freshly honed, and was ready to hit the ground running. As The Crown Estate’s first ever legal trainee, all eyes were on her. Fortunately, she picked up what was expected of her quickly and integrated with the in-house team fluidly.

The in-house team at The Crown Estate primarily deal with contractual work, which includes their crucial “Marine portfolio” of coastline and seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Ghazhal was initially tasked with supporting the London portfolio and helping the team with consultancy agreements, licences to occupy and conducting legal research. In her second year of training, Ghazhal now looks after the Marine, Windsor and Rural portfolio and supports the teams with their various contractual needs. 

As Ghazhal has broadened her knowledge of the organisation, she has been successfully deployed to other business areas outside of the legal function. Ghazhal has now performed tasks for The Crown Estate’s Operations, People, Sustainability and Strategy teams - even doing some exciting and secretive research into the metaverse. Ghazhal also deals with applications received by the HM Land Registry and liaises with assets managers across the business to ascertain whether the applications conflict with The Crown Estate’s interests/ownership.

As testament to how far Ghazhal has come in her role, when The Crown Estate recently welcomed a new paralegal into their team, Ghazhal conducted 90% of the paralegal’s training. It goes without saying, but the sheer scope of tasks Ghazhal has performed shows the value she has added to The Crown Estate. All concerned parties are immensely pleased with her work, and couldn’t be happier for her!

*“Whilst most of the team was on annual leave during a period this summer, I had a moment of realisation of how far I had come in the few months of training at The Crown Estate in relation to my confidence to deal with matters from start to finish. I have definitely exceeded my own expectations.”* - **Ghazhal Noory**

## **Studying for the SQE exams as a Flex Trainee**

Qualifying as a solicitor through the SQE route requires multiple criteria being met, and the Qualifying Work Experience is only one aspect of the route. Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree, meet [“character and suitability” requirements](https://www.sra.org.uk/become-solicitor/character-and-suitability/), and pass [two rigorous legal assessments](https://sqe.sra.org.uk/) - the SQE1 and SQE2.

The Flex Trainee scheme takes full account of this, and supports our Trainees in their SQE studies alongside their work commitments. We have partnered with industry-leading training provider [Barbri](https://www.barbri.com/), to offer all Flex Trainees access to [their SQE prep courses](https://www.barbri.com/sqe/sqe-prep-courses/). This means that every Flex Trainee spends four days per week working with their partner organisations, and one day per week studying for their exams.

Obviously, this is no easy feat. Ghazhal has had to simultaneously juggle her SQE exam prep and her working commitments. However, she has diligently balanced the requirements for both, and has found that they inform each other: “*Doing both at the same time is challenging but manageable. SQE 1 is more of a black letter law exam and I found that with my experience at The Crown Estate, I had to invest less time into the Land law and Property law modules as I could easily remember and understand the content. SQE 2 assesses legal skills such as drafting, interviewing and negotiation etc in the context of the black letter law. I think that my experience to date will place me at an advantage when I come to sit the assessment as legal skills is something I practise daily.*”

## **What is next for The Crown Estate and Flex Trainee?**

At the time of writing, Ghazhal has been working as an increasingly integral part of The Crown Estate’s legal team for almost a year and a half. Her SQE studies are progressing smoothly, and she is well on her way to qualifying as a solicitor via the SQE. We are thrilled to announce that not only are The Crown Estate incredibly happy with their Flex Trainee experience so far, but that they have agreed to welcome a second Trainee into their ranks as part of our Spring 2023 cohort!

Flex Trainee has always been about making the legal profession a more accessible and inclusive place to work. We take enormous satisfaction from the knowledge that organisations such as The Crown Estate share in this vision. Together, driven by the tireless efforts of remarkable individuals such as Ghazhal, we know we can make the industry better. We look forward to continuing our work with The Crown Estate, and cannot begin to thank them enough for the trust they have placed in us.

### **Additional Resources:**

* [Hire a Flex Trainee](https://flex.legal/hire/flex-trainee) - If your legal team could benefit from involvement in the Flex Trainee scheme, then [arrange a call with our team today](/contact) to learn more.
* [Apply to be a Flex Trainee](https://flexlegalltd.recruitee.com/o/flex-trainee-2023) - Are you an aspiring lawyer from an under-represented background? You might be a great candidate for the Flex Trainee scheme! Learn more on [our Recruitee page](https://flexlegalltd.recruitee.com/).
* [The Phoenix Group and Flex Trainee](/blog/how-phoenix-group-are-improving-legal-industry-diversity) - One of our earliest Flex Trainee partnerships was with legendary FTSE100 company, The Phoenix Group. [Read about their experiences here!](/blog/how-phoenix-group-are-improving-legal-industry-diversity)

The Crown Estate Logo

How The Crown Estate found their first ever legal trainee

salmon

It’s been over 15 months since we launched our groundbreaking SQE training scheme, [Flex Trainee](/hire/flex-trainee). Designed to support socially mobile aspiring lawyers to achieve qualification, we’re incredibly proud to have placed 27 talented trainees within 23 top in-house legal teams across the UK, from Vodafone and ASOS, to The Crown Estate and TrustPilot.

Now we’ve worked with three full cohorts of trainees, with another three due to launch this year, we thought this would be the perfect time to check in with one of our first partners for the scheme, [Sarah Gormley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-gormley-3a423ba3/), Head of General Counsel Operational Excellence at [Phoenix Group](https://www.thephoenixgroup.com/).

## How did Flex Trainee help Phoenix Group to find an SQE Trainee?

Phoenix Group is the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business. Their legal team pride themselves on being a centre of excellence, supporting operations across the whole group. As a team, their day-to-day tasks include taking care of: commercial contracts, transactions and insurance, and any M&A deals.

Phoenix are passionate about being a purpose-led organisation, for both their customers and employees alike. This bleeds all the way down to their legal team, and Sarah is particularly keen to challenge the current barriers to entry that many experience within our industry. This purpose-led approach aligns strongly with Flex Trainee’s mission to help socially mobile aspiring lawyers achieve qualification. So, as you can expect, we were delighted to place one of our first ever trainees, Jordan, within Phoenix Group back in October 2021.

After having previously worked with Flex for the [on-demand paralegal side of our business](/hire/), Sarah felt confident in our shared corporate ethos and values. Particularly in relation to Phoenix’s early careers programme which aims to help deserving socially mobile candidates secure life-changing opportunities. Following a successful chat with Flex CEO, Mary Bonsor, three of our trainees were shortlisted as suitable matches, and all three were viewed by Phoenix as top quality candidates. After much deliberation, Jordan was selected as the perfect match for Phoenix… and they’ve never looked back since.

## How the Flex Trainee ‘Readiness Programme’ helped Jordan to hit the ground running

Before each Flex Trainee is seconded to their in-house team, they undergo a rigorous, bespoke four-week Readiness Programme at Flex HQ. Created by Flex Legal’s Head of Learning and Development, [Sophie Gould](/team-members/sophie-gould), this programme looks at the hard and soft skills that would normally take months to absorb in a professional workplace, and formalises it into up-front training. We cover need-to-know legal skills, advanced workplace soft skills, and even a full final week of training specific to the organisation each trainee is placed with.

Phoenix found this incredibly beneficial, especially as Jordan was coming straight from university into an office environment for the very first time. This training ensured that Jordan settled into the role fantastically from day one, and has been a crucial part of the team ever since. Over a year later, Jordan has made such a great impression that her placement has been extended into a second year, meaning that the entirety of her QWE will be completed at Phoenix Group.

## What has Jordan’s in-house training looked like?

Throughout her time at Phoenix so far, Jordan worked for six months within the Mortgage Solutions Team, supporting with equity release mortgages and technical product work, followed by six months in the Commercial Contracts Team, focussing on contracts and IP.  

As part of her second year, Phoenix has worked with Flex to arrange a law firm secondment for Jordan, where she still carries out work solely for Phoenix Group, but within CMS’ law firm setting. Again Jordan has received remarkably positive feedback from CMS, and this incredible experience will equip her with a formidable mix of both in-house and private practice experience. 

As well as getting stuck in with a range of legal tasks, Jordan has also been encouraged to get involved with wider organisational strategy days, away days and employee networks across the group, and even contributed towards the programme design for Phoenix’s Black History Month last year.

It’s wonderful to see our trainees embedding themselves into their organisations so well, and we’re really excited to see where the rest of Jordan’s legal journey takes her.

Together with like-minded, forward-thinking organisations such as Phoenix Group, we want to flip the script and help to make our industry more diverse, inclusive and accessible for all.

**Additional Resources:**

* [Hire a Flex Trainee](/hire/flex-trainee) - If this post has you contemplating how the Flex Trainee scheme might help your legal team, then arrange a call with our team today to learn more.
* [Apply to be a Flex Trainee](https://flexlegalltd.recruitee.com/o/flex-trainee-2023) - If you’re an aspiring lawyer from an under-represented background, then read the full details of how to apply to the Flex Trainee scheme on [our Recruitee page](https://flexlegalltd.recruitee.com/).
* [Tomorrow’s legal industry, today](/blog/flex-trainee-tomorrows-legal-industry-today) - Discover how Flex Trainee can help you to enhance your in-house team with a talented, deserving future lawyer.

HIRE A FLEX TRAINEE

Phoenix Group Logo

How Phoenix Group are improving legal industry diversity

Amongst the first partnerships Flex Legal struck up for [our Flex Trainee scheme](/hire/flex-trainee) was with the fantastic [Next Fifteen Communications Group PLC](https://www.next15.com/). Next 15 is a global marketing communications business, consisting of 24 subsidiary agencies. In total, they employ over 3,500 people, across a staggering 50 offices, in 15 countries.

Having previously worked with Next15 for the [“on demand”](/why) side of our business, and knowing that we share corporate values, we were really keen to partner with them again for Flex Trainee.

We approached [Mark Sanford](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sanford-8b269813/) (pictured), General Counsel and Company Secretary at Next 15, when we [launched the scheme last year](/blog/flex-trainee-tomorrows-legal-industry-today). There was a clear alignment in our ethos and vision for the scheme, and we were thrilled when Next 15 agreed to welcome [Afroditi Griva](https://www.linkedin.com/in/afroditi-griva-594167104/) into their legal team as a Flex Trainee. Here’s how it all went down:

## How did Flex Trainee help Next 15 find an SQE Trainee?

The launch of the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam was greeted with [mixed responses](https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/blog/cutting-to-the-chase-on-the-sqe) from the wider legal industry. We saw the potential of a massive force for good. Specifically, we saw a clear parallel between the QWE requirement of the SQE, and our existing processes for pairing legal talent and legal teams.

By setting up a new arm of the company for Flex Trainee, we began to seek out partners. Our hope was that by taking on the time-consuming admin of identifying exceptional and diverse young talent, we could make the process of taking on an SQE trainee tremendously simple.

Given how important diversity is to Next 15, and how they share our commitment to improving social mobility within the industry, they made for perfect early partners for the scheme.

Next 15 were incredibly receptive to the programme, and felt it really aligned with the social mobility mission of their organisation. “*As a company we have a culture of inclusivity and diversity. I love the way the trainees were selected and this met with the ethos of our company*” says Mark. We subsequently placed the incomparable Flex Trainee [Afroditi Griva](https://www.linkedin.com/in/afroditi-griva-594167104/) with Next 15.

## How does the Flex Trainee “readiness programme” work?

The secret ingredient to Flex Trainee’s success is our readiness programme, which developed in the formative days of the scheme. Our partners and Trainees had placed an enormous amount of trust in us, so we were incredibly committed to making the early Flex Trainee placements a success.

To this end, we tasked [Sophie Gould](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-gould-95832316/), Flex Legal’s Head of Learning and Development, to design a bespoke “readiness programme”. This would ensure that each Flex Trainee could make meaningful contributions to their organisations from day one. She created a rigorous 4 week training programme, built around the hard and soft workplace skills a legal professional needs to succeed.

## How has Next 15’s Flex Trainee experience been so far?

Next15 are incredibly pleased with the Flex Trainee experience thus far, and recently extended Afroditi’s placement for another year. Afroditi has fully embedded herself into Next15’s team, and has taken on routine tasks such as reviewing commercial contracts for sub-brands, drafting settlement agreements, and updating post-acquistion templates. She has even stepped up as an “acting GC” when wider team members have been away on holiday.

When asked to name a standout moment from her Next 15 experience so far, Afroditi said “*When I drafted a three way influencer agreement between one of our brands, their client which was one of Europe’s largest cinema operators and a famous actor (Golden Globe recipient!) and was involved in heavy negotiations between our brand’s client and the influencer’s agent around the retention of IP*”.

Next 15 case study blog banner

Next 15 logo

Flex Trainee: how Next 15 found the perfect SQE trainee

Flex Trainee: Q&A with Mark Sanford, GC at Next15

[Oscar Davies](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-davies-33540589/) is a practicing barrister at [Lamb Chambers](https://www.lambchambers.co.uk/), with a broad practice area covering areas such as commercial, employment, property, and much more. Oscar made headlines last year when they became the UK's first barrister to publicly identify as non-binary, and use the gender neutral “Mx” as an honorific at their chambers. Since then, Oscar has become something of an LGBT+ legal icon, and was recently named in the British LGBT Awards as making a [Top 10 Outstanding Contribution to LGBT+ Life](https://britishlgbtawards.com/top-10-outstanding-contributors-to-lgbt-life-2022/).

[Louise Anderson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiseanderson2/) has a thought-provoking discussion with Oscar, which covers Oscar's journey to the Bar, the manic reality of life as a practising barrister, why legal TV shows often aren't the best representation of legal work, and the steadily improving diversity within the wider legal sector.

This episode is also available on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4IBW1WsLXlDXXu6IN7YRHH?si=a58d472626e840f9), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-and-diversity-at-the-bar-w-oscar-davies/id1572322390?i=1000559009332), and [all good podcasting platforms](https://humansoflaw.buzzsprout.com/1799939/10522553-life-and-diversity-at-the-bar-w-oscar-davies).

**Additional Resources:**

* [All Humans of Law episodes](https://flex.legal/blog/categories/humans-of-law-podcast) - our podcast is a dedicated place for us to explore all kinds of different human experiences within the legal world. If you enjoyed this episode, try another!
* [Flex Legal on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/flex-legal-limited/) - the best place to keep up with the latest from us is to give us a follow over on LinkedIn. Come over the Flex side of life (but on a professional social platform).
* [Flex Legal on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/flexondemand/) - if LinkedIn isn’t your thing, then our Instagram might just be for you. Our Instagram is full of unique and junior-focused content, so swing by and give us a follow!

Oscar Davies

Oscar Davies podcast banner no text

Life and diversity at the Bar with Oscar Davies

In recent years, law firms have been increasingly pressured to attract a more diverse pool of young lawyers. One of the fundamental motivations behind the introduction of the centralised SQE assessments was to address this issue. This blog article investigates what the SQE means for diversity and considers the recent developments in this area.

## **How diverse is the legal profession now?**

As a starting point, it’s useful to look at the SRA’s most recent (September 2019)[ diversity statistics](https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/equality-diversity/key-findings/diverse-legal-profession/), to really highlight the problem that the SQE is aiming to address. 3% of all lawyers are disabled; this is compared to 13% of the UK general workforce. In addition, only 21% of all lawyers are Black, Asian or from a minority ethnic group (BAME). This can be broken down as follows: 15% are Asian; 3% are Black; 2% have multiple ethnicities; and 1% are from other ethnic groups. The lack of diversity can be further highlighted by the fact that 21% of lawyers attended a fee-paying school; this is compared to 7% of the general population. It is clear from these statistics that more needs to be done to open up the legal profession to all members of society, to ensure that the legal community truly reflects the people it serves.

## **The SQE Pilot Studies: a cause for concern?**

The suggestion that the SQE would aid diversity in the legal profession encountered a significant obstacle during its initial pilot studies. It was found that White candidates generally outperformed their BAME counterparts in assessments of Functional Legal Knowledge and other skill sets that were proposed to form part of SQE1. This result threatened to undermine the efficacy of the SQE in addressing diversity as employers are likely to consider SQE results in their hiring process. If White candidates perform better than their BAME peers in the SQE, they will also perform better in the job market meaning issues with diversity will remain.

Shortly after the SQE pilot studies, [adversity and inclusion risk assessment published by the SRA](https://www.sra.org.uk/globalassets/documents/sra/equality-diversity/sqe-edi-risk-assessment-may-2020.pdf?version=49f457) stated that the methods used in the SQE cannot be seen as ‘intrinsically biased’ and the outcomes are equal to those ‘seen in the current LPC system’. But if the outcomes of the SQE are equal to those in the LPC system, how will the SQE have any positive effect on diversity at all?

## **What are the benefits of the SQE for diversity?**

The main way in which the SQE aims to tackle the lack of diversity that we currently see is by removing the gamble of the LPC. At the moment, there is a significant imbalance in the number of students passing the LPC and available training contracts, meaning an unhelpful ‘bottleneck’ phenomenon has occurred. This means many aspiring lawyers are forced to find around £14,000 to fund the LPC, with no guarantee that they will even be able to qualify and see a return on their investment. Finding this amount of money is a struggle for anyone, particularly those from lower-income households, meaning a number of highly intelligent minds are excluded from the profession. These fees also create a high level of risk for those who are required to take out loans to fund the course.

The SQE removes this uncertainty by allowing SQE candidates to qualify as a solicitor with 2 years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). QWE is extremely flexible; it must simply be grounded in legal work and provide candidates with the opportunity to develop some of the [SRA competences](https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/resources/cpd/competence-statement/), which broadly relate to areas of legal knowledge and legal skills. QWE can be completed on a full time or part time basis, and can be paid or voluntary. So, the SQE puts the control back with the candidates; if they cannot secure a training contract (or the SQE equivalent), they can look elsewhere for paralegal roles that will allow them to qualify.

The minimum costs of the SQE are also substantially lower than the LPC. The SQE examinations, which are technically the only essential expenditure associated with the SQE, cost around £4,000. By contrast, the average price of the LPC is a huge £14,000. The difference between these two routes is reduced when you factor in the price of SQE preparatory courses, such as those provided by [Barbri](https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/resources/cpd/competence-statement/) and the [College of Legal Practice](https://www.collegalpractice.com/sqe?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=FY21-CoLP-SQE-Google&gclid=CjwKCAiAvriMBhAuEiwA8Cs5lTIgvj3gyEoyCcr6IkJBGxD3wL-oj3ATSqMMWVfMSlwFWTsHzgqhnRoCVlgQAvD_BwE). However, the considerable variability in these prep course fees means the SQE still has the potential to be a much cheaper option for students.

There is also much to be said for the standardisation of the SQE. Previously, the LPC examinations were set by individual course providers. By contrast, the SQE is administered by the SRA’s partner, Kaplan, meaning all candidates are assessed in a consistent way. This means that there should be less emphasis placed on where candidates completed their SQE preparation and any previous education or opportunities.

[The report by the Bridge Group](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c18e090b40b9d6b43b093d8/t/5f0d4e7ca1941063f2d63f97/1594707581191/SQE_BridgeGroup_July20_FINAL.pdf), who specialise in diversity and social equality, supports the idea that the SQE could have a beneficial impact on diversity. The report states that the SQE has the potential to increase candidates’ choice when it comes to legal training. They also hypothesised that costs may be driven down by competitive pressure. However, Nicholas Miller, the Chief Executive of the Bridge Group, did acknowledge that ‘there is no silver bullet to address diversity in the legal profession’ and that the success of the SQE in addressing diversity issues will ‘depend on how much legal business and training providers embrace the opportunities around these reforms’.

## **Recent Developments**

[The Law Society has recently called on the government](https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/society-pushes-government-for-sqe-loan-scheme/5110032.article) to formulate a loan system specifically for students undertaking the SQE. They warned that if no loan system is devised, candidates from less affluent backgrounds could encounter a ‘significant barrier’ to entering the legal profession. This would have significant implications for diversity and mean that the issues faced are nearly identical to those associated with the LPC.

The Law Society also explained that the absence of a loan system would prevent smaller law firms from being able to take on aspiring lawyers, which is one of the key benefits of the flexibility that the SQE offers. Smaller law firms may not be able to cover the costs of SQE preparatory courses, meaning candidates will continue to be drawn to large City law firms. This will mean the best talent remains with these firms, and limits candidates’ choice in relation to which firms they apply to. Whilst large firms may be the desired environment for some, others may prefer the intimacy and responsibility that comes with working at a smaller firm. A government-backed loan system would ensure that candidates have a choice and can pursue their careers in the environment that is right for them.

Although the details of this loan system would have to be considered further, the Law Society has suggested several potential avenues, such as use of the apprenticeship levy in a more flexible manner or an extension of an existing loan scheme. Regardless of these details, it is clear that some consideration of SQE prep course funding must take place to ensure that the SQE has the desired effect on diversity in the legal sector and helps this sector to reflect the community it serves.

**Additional Resources:**

* [The Flex Legal SQE Journal](/sqe-qwe-journal) - Are you interested in recording your QWE, or helping your team record theirs? You’re in luck - the Flex Legal Journal was built for exactly that.
* [SQE FAQs](/blog/sqe-faqs) - Still not sure about the ins-and-outs of the SQE? We’ve got you. Our comprehensive SQE FAQs cover all the big questions you’ve got about the SQE and how it works.
* [What we know about City Law Firms’ transition to the SQE](/blog/what-we-know-about-city-law-firms-transition-to-the-sqe) - Legal qualification is in a state of flux. Big firms are moving away from traditional Training Contracts, and this is what we know about it.

  [](https://flex.legal/blog?category=Flex%20Paralegals)