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23 September 2020 / Chris Bushell
Issue: 7903 / Categories: Opinion , Equality
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Diversity & inclusion: work in progress

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Chris Bushell, President of the LSLA, sees diversity & inclusion as a key priority for the legal profession. But there’s still work to be done

In my first speech as President of the LSLA, back in March, I said that diversity and inclusion needs to be a key priority for our profession. Since giving that speech, the SRA has published updated data on diversity and inclusion, COVID-19 has forced us to embrace agile working and, most significantly of all, we have seen the tragic killing of George Floyd, the shooting of Jacob Blake and a renewed, global awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement. While sadly not new news, it has been a stark reminder that we need to do more than just improve ethnicity statistics in the workplace. We need to take ownership and action around systemic racism, from which no country or profession is exempt.

We need to have a diverse and inclusive profession. That ought not to be a controversial statement. Our firms will be better places

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Stephen Ward, The Barrister Group

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From mowing lawns to life at the Bar: Stephen Ward reflects on an unconventional career

Clarke Willmott—Ben Loosemore

Clarke Willmott—Ben Loosemore

Commercial property partner joins Clarke Willmott in Southampton

Ellisons—Robert Tiffen

Ellisons—Robert Tiffen

Robert Tiffen joins Ellisons as Partner in growing Norwich office

NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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