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Social mobility in the legal profession

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07 July 2023 / Susanna McGibbon
Issue: 8032 / Categories: Opinion , Career focus , Profession , Diversity
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Government lawyers must reflect the society they serve: Susanna McGibbon explains how this can be achieved by integrating principles of fairness & inclusion at every stage

I firmly believe that anyone, regardless of socio-economic background, should be able to forge a rewarding career in the legal profession.

Overcoming hurdles

As the second female Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary to the Government Legal Department (GLD), one of my key aims is that we create an environment where everyone feels able to be themselves, uninhibited by their background. It is particularly crucial that as civil servants, government lawyers are representative of the society we serve. I believe we achieve this by integrating principles of fairness and inclusion into everything we do—from recruitment to training and career development.

I hope that our ambition to become a truly national organisation will also play an important role in this agenda. I want those joining GLD to have access to all the career opportunities available from whichever location they are based. No longer will

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