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Stereotypes are hard to shake, ever more so in industries that are as old as the dinosaurs. The legal profession is no exception and is dogged with associated images of privately educated lawyers that have been to suitably impressive Universities, and are predominantly white. Yet times are changing, and there is a new movement afoot that aims to shake up the ‘who’s who’ of the legal world.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, (BCLP), with 31 offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia has released a report in conjunction with Diverse Talent Network, (DTN) Stop the Talent Leak, looking at how to prevent the 50% drop-off of south Asian lawyers on the path to big law partnership. Unsurprisingly a key finding is that ethnicity is seen as a barrier to success. Almost one in three South Asian partners (29%) said they faced workplace issues because of their ethnicity. One in four (25%) felt it put them at a career disadvantage. Even when they do get a foot in the door, ethnicity is seen as negatively impacting many aspects of career progression including the speed of promotion to partner (46%) and decisions around work allocation (38%).
Another concern is that background, schools, and class are still the thorns in the side of aspiring lawyers and new entrants. The report shows that this has created barriers to vital networking with colleagues and clients accustomed to bonding around conversations about pursuits, such as skiing trips and membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club, which are uncommon among the South Asian demographic. A further barrier is cultural norms, where alcohol is rife at networking functions and is seen as a significant obstacle to 88% who identify with a religious affiliation that precludes the consumption of alcohol.
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