The College’s mission has always been to support aspiring solicitors and staff from all backgrounds to achieve their career goals. Our 2024 Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Report provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our progress, identify ongoing challenges, and consider how we can further embed inclusion into the College’s practices and culture.
In this article, we highlight key findings, examine how they inform internal practices and staff engagement, and outline steps being taken to ensure inclusion is central to both our workplace and our educational environment.
Understanding staff experience and institutional learning
Creating an inclusive environment begins with listening to staff. The 2024 D&I Annual Report highlighted areas of strength and where further work is required:
- 89% of staff feel valued at the College
- 84% feel able to bring their whole selves to work
- 79% reported increased understanding of disability and neurodiversity
- 10 awareness sessions were delivered on topics including race, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ history, and Islamophobia
We also heard what topics staff would like to hear more about and where levels of understanding were low, these insights are shaping our priorities this year, from training and awareness sessions to adjustments in recruitment and internal processes. Digital accessibility, for example, is a theme that we are wanting to spend more time on in 25-26.
Staff recruitment and workforce inclusion
Recruitment remains an important focus for creating an inclusive workplace. Key 2024 data demonstrates some progress: 51% of applicants for roles at the College identified as non-white and 20% of applicants were eligible for free school meals whilst in education.
To build on these trends, we are introducing initiatives to support fairer hiring:
- Blind recruitment pilot: reducing unconscious bias in shortlisting
- Inclusive recruitment guidance: equipping line managers to make equitable hiring decisions
Student support through an inclusion lens
Inclusion is equally evident in the support we provide to students. Key 2024 statistics show that we have a diverse student body:
- 44% of students identify as non-white, with a relatively high % of Black/Black British students
- 43% are aged over 31
- 70% self-fund their studies
Our SQE Scholarships and partnerships play a crucial role in making legal education and becoming a solicitor more accessible:
- 73% of our SQE scholarship applicants were non-white
- 56% were eligible for free school meals
- 28% identified as having a disability or health condition
We are now seeing some of our early SQE scholarship holders qualify, which is a testament to their hard work throughout their preparation courses.
At the College, we recognise that widening initial access to postgraduate education is only the first step. With a varied group of students, many of whom are balancing careers and families with their study, we need to work hard to counteract the everyday challenges they can face and support them to achieve.
Ensuring students can succeed once they join the College’s programmes requires practical, ongoing support tailored to diverse needs. We provide a combination of financial, academic, and wellbeing support.
Beyond scholarships, structured support includes:
- Low and flexible course fees and instalment plans to reduce financial barriers
- Academic and wellbeing support, including adjustments for disabilities and health conditions
- Fully online learning models and flexible weekly deadlines that accommodate work, caring responsibilities, and other commitments
Our approach is iterative, with programmes reviewed and refined based on student feedback and outcomes, ensuring support evolves to meet changing needs.
Looking ahead
The College's D&I activities in 2024 demonstrate that progress is being made, but inclusion is a continuous and not easy journey. The College remains committed to:
- Listening to staff and students to understand experiences and barriers
- Using data to identify gaps and inform actions
- Embedding lessons into training, learning, and policies to drive lasting change
We recognise that the legal profession, like many others, continues to be shaped by structural inequalities but is moving in the right direction. While these cannot be resolved overnight, the work we do, from staff development to student support, is aimed at making the College a place where inclusion is actively considered, reflected in decisions, and put into practice daily.
Resources
These resources support inclusion across the legal profession - both for organisations seeking to embed inclusive practices and for students and aspiring solicitors navigating their careers.
Resources at the College
SQE Scholarships : Funded places to help students overcome financial barriers and access solicitor training.
Diversity and Inclusion at the College: Insights, initiatives, and guidance supporting an inclusive workplace and learning environment.
Diversity and inclusion at the College
Student Support: Academic, financial, and wellbeing support tailored to students’ diverse needs.
For employers
The Law Society Race Equality Toolkit: Directly supports firms embedding inclusive practices across recruitment, development, and culture.
Inclusive Employers: Recognised cross-sector membership body helping organisations build inclusive workplace cultures.
Race Equality Matters: Campaigns and practical toolkits helping organisations drive race equality action.
Rare Recruitment: Trusted recruitment tool used by law firms to assess candidates’ achievements in context and improve fairness.
Legal CORE: Collaboration of major firms focusing on retention and progression of ethnic minority lawyers.
For students & aspiring solicitors
Aspiring Solicitors: Widely recognised mentoring programme offering events, guidance, and law firm access for underrepresented students.
Bridging the Bar: Provides mini-pupillages, mentoring, and practical access to the Bar for aspiring barristers from underrepresented backgrounds.
Junior Solicitors Network (The Law Society): Support, networking, and events for early career solicitors.
Social Mobility Foundation: Mentoring, internships, and skills development for students from low-income backgrounds pursuing legal careers.
Black Solicitors Network: Peer-led support, mentoring, and visibility for Black law students and lawyers.