ParalegalsWebley, L. 2008. Paralegals. in: Cane, P. and Conaghan, J. (eds.) The new Oxford companion to law Oxford Oxford University Press. pp. 862-863 This study was commissioned by the Law Society of England and Wales to examine equality and diversity in the legal profession in England and Wales with a particular focus on women lawyers. A frequently discussed topic, diversity in law, is at the top of the agenda for legal employers. While much remains to be done, progress is being made to ensure that the legal profession accurately reflects the society it serves Since the 1960s, women began to emerge in the public space and the gap between public and private has eroded.

However, women`s participation in public spaces is still limited by the persistent need to engage in two activities (“the double day”) and to work both at home and in the labour market. For example, a study on the gender gap in the legal professions in Ireland [Bacik, Ivana, Costello, Cathryn and Drew, Eileen (2003), Gender InJustice: Feminising the legal professions?, Trinity College Dublin Law School, Dublin.] found that while women are increasingly interested in law schools, they continue to focus on lower levels of practice. Women lawyers find it extremely difficult to achieve a work-life balance due to the culture of long working hours, a deep-rooted hostility to flexible working arrangements and the fact that they retain a disproportionate burden of care in the private sector. Changes in the structuring of legal work are clearly needed to address this gender imbalance and the associated imbalance between work and personal life – but cultural changes are ultimately needed to end the ongoing “battle to juggle”. As a member of the Bar, the Women Lawyers Division promotes inclusion and advises and supports all women lawyers, from articling students to retirees. The Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) also promotes and supports the interests of women in the legal profession. They enable professional development through educational events, networking and mentoring opportunities. However, in recent years, steps have been taken to expand access to the sector, and if one were to adhere to the goals of organizational diversity, increasing social mobility is a priority for many legal employers. This article examines the theoretical explanations for why women do not remain in the ranks of the legal profession in England and Wales and do not develop through them. It presents the results of a project commissioned by the Law Society to study why women took a break from practice or decided to leave the profession. Finally, it examines whether one of the alleged strategies for empowering women lawyers – the equal opportunity business case in the legal profession – actively works against women and the profession (in a broader sense) and that only a return to a broader values-based approach to professional identity will address the criticisms of many women who participated in the research. The Black Solicitors Network (BSN) represents the interests of existing and emerging Black lawyers in England and Wales; He is committed to achieving “equal access, retention and promotion of black lawyers.” The Junior Lawyers Group (JLG) aims to connect junior lawyers in the legal sector and provide a forum for support, inspiration and advice.

Law firms across the industry recognize that they need to do more to improve the playing field in terms of gender inequality, which is why some have recently increased their gender diversity goals. SRA diversity data shows that 17% of all lawyers are black, Asian or ethnic minority. The breakdown is as follows: this is a fairly important stereotype to eliminate, and while it is undeniable that the legal profession has its fair share of diversity and inclusion issues, there are initiatives to improve diversity, promote inclusion and combat discrimination in the industry. Solicitors as imagined masculin, family mediators as fictive feminine and the hybridization of divorce solicitorsWebley, L. 2011. Anwälte als imaginär männlich, Familienmediatoren als fiktiv weiblich und die Hybridisierung von Scheidungsanwälten. in: Bartlett, F., Mortenson, R. and Tranter, K. (eds.) Alternative Perspektiven auf Anwälte und Rechtsethik Abingdon Routledge. pp. 132-150 It is clear that much remains to be done in this area, and there are a number of programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of Black, Asian and ethnic minorities in the legal profession. Entrepreneurship, managementism and professionalism in action: the case of advocacy in England and WalesMuzio, D.

and Flood, J. 2012. Entrepreneurship, managementity and professionalism in action: the case of advocacy in England and Wales. in: Reihlen, M. and Werr, A. (eds.) Handbook of research on entrepreneurship in professional services Edward Elgar. pp. 369-386 This article deals with the formation of professional identity, both at the individual and organizational level, and the dialectic between individual processes and the social development of organizational reproduction. The research project on which the paper is based has been spurred on by the growing concern of legal education institutions and professional associations in the UK about how newcomers to an increasingly diverse profession are coping with the changing demands of a complex, stratified and segmented labour market.