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NLJ this week: Obstacles hampering progress for talented lawyers

05 May 2023
Issue: 8023 / Categories: Legal News , Diversity , Profession , Career focus
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Senior litigation lawyer Pauline Campbell, writing in this week’s NLJ, sets out some of her personal experience of diversity and access after 17 years in the legal profession. 

Law firms say they want to attract talented candidates, and are taking action on diversity and social mobility, yet progress is slow. Why? Are perceptions standing in the way of progress? What must change?

Campbell, now an award-winning solicitor at the London Borough of Waltham Forest, encountered a series of obstacles en route. She notes law firms are continuing to miss out ‘on talent and profit’ by not taking on graduates from non-professional family backgrounds who attended state schools.

As Campbell writes, ‘barriers are not limited to mere practices and procedures, and also encompass the perceptions of those who work within a profession’. 

Read more from Campbell on talent and progression here.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Amarjit Ryatt, Taylor Rose

NLJ Career Profile: Amarjit Ryatt, Taylor Rose

Amarjit Ryatt, recently appointed head of family and divorce at Taylor Rose, discusses the importance of empathy, the potential ofnon-court dispute resolution, and the moments that matter most

Morr & Co—Nick Leavey

Morr & Co—Nick Leavey

Commercial property team welcomes partner

Bloomsbury Square Employment Law—Donna Clancy

Bloomsbury Square Employment Law—Donna Clancy

Employment law team strengthened with partner appointment

NEWS
The bookies have won again, after the Court of Appeal dismissed property millionaire Lee Gibson’s case against Betfair for allowing him to keep betting until he lost more than £1.4m
All housing disrepair claims could be transferred from the county court to the small claims court, and referral fees banned, under reforms being considered by ministers
The Lord Chancellor, David Lammy, is introducing a raft of reforms to banish rape myths, reduce the use of sexual history as evidence, and protect complainants from re-traumatisation during the trial
Costs lawyers predict more costs disputes and more demand for their services as a direct result of the Mazur ruling
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, has asked lawyers to respond to a five-week consultation on ‘very straightforward’ online procedure rules
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