Browne Jacobson continues its equality, diversity and inclusion journey after signing up to two key pledges

Law firm Browne Jacobson will play an important part in helping to drive positive change around equality, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession after becoming signatories to the Women in Law pledge and the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter.

The Women in Law pledge was set up by The Law Society in partnership with the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) to encourage law firms and professionals to make a firm commitment to promote and champion gender equality within their firms and on behalf of the legal sector.

The Race at Work Charter looks to organisations to commit to tackling the barriers that Black, Asian and ethnic minority people face every day in the workplace. Browne Jacobson joins a host of public and private sector businesses who have made this public commitment.

Browne Jacobson will build on the practical steps it has already taken as part of its commitment by:

• supporting the progression of more women into senior roles through mentoring and promotion opportunities,
• appointing an Executive Sponsor for race and,
• setting targets to achieve a leadership population that is representative of society and which will be measured and reported on an annual basis.

The firm will offer greater transparency to its clients and the market around its progress on both pledges by capturing, sharing and publishing its data. Backed by commitments to its employees and communities, the firm aims to embed and amplify an inclusive culture.

Browne Jacobson’s senior partner Caroline Green who is the internal sponsor for the Women in Law pledge commented: “We have a responsibility as a business to drive positive change. Signing up to both the Women in Law pledge and the Race at Work Charter are important steps in reaffirming our commitment to building a more inclusive culture within our business and contributing to a fairer and more equal society.

“More women than ever before are entering the legal profession but this is still not reflected at the most senior levels. We also recognise that ethnic minorities continue to face significant disparities in terms of employment prospects and career progression. We are determined to change this and have ensured that all our leaders and managers within the business are responsible for the equality in the workplace agenda. We firmly believe that actions speak louder than words.”

Browne Jacobson partner Bridget Tatham, who is the internal sponsor for the Race at Work pledge added: “Whilst, the data shows that there is greater representation of Black, Asian and ethnic minorities within law compared to some other professions, it also tells us that there is continued disparity and a lack of representation, particularly in leadership roles. We are committed to addressing the barriers which present as obstacles to the recruitment and progression of Black, Asian and ethnic minorities in the legal profession. For us, being signatories is more than a statement of intent, it is about asking difficult questions and finding solutions which impact real and sustainable change within our firm and wider society.”