Racial injustice more of a professional barrier than caregiving, says two thirds of lawyers
Racial injustice is the biggest professional barrier for over two thirds of lawyers of colour, a report, published today, finds.
In the study by Thomson Reuters, 68 per cent of black lawyers said racially related injustice was a key barrier to climbing up the legal ladder – the study found it was considered to be a bigger obstacle than caregiving responsibilities for female lawyers.
The report, entitled “Pandemic Nation: Understanding its impact on lawyers from underrepresented communities”, looked at how the pandemic affected career advancement opportunities for lawyers from underrepresented communities in the UK and U.S.
Black Lives Matter in the workplace
But the pandemic was just one of the “seismic events” noted in the report as impacting underrepresented groups. The global Black Lives Matter protests against racial injustice, sparked by the killing of George of Floyd, was observed as another.
Almost 60 per cent of black lawyers said that negative attitudes held by some individuals about the Black Lives Matter movement was a key barrier to career progression.
This was followed by caregiver responsibilities, which 21 per cent agreed was a key barrier, and the #MeToo movement and natural disasters.
While both men and women called out race as a greater obstacle than caregiving responsibility, some findings did diverge by gender.
While 21 per cent of men cited Black Lives Matter as a barrier to career development, just 16 per cent of women said the same.
Anti-Asian bias concerns
There has also been a rise in violent incidents against Asians, according to the report, which has sparked concerns that Asians may experience further discrimination in the workplace too with 44 per cent of Asians surveyed citing anti-Asian bias as a professional barrier.
Of the Asian respondents, 40 per cent said well-qualified lawyers were opting out of advancement opportunities because of additional challenges – more than any other group.
The report found that Asian lawyers were more likely than any other group surveyed, at 57 per cent, to note access to professional development opportunities as a concern.
More innovative solutions needed
The report suggests more innovative and flexible solutions would be needed to retain and aid the career progression of lawyers from underrepresented groups.
Natalie Runyon, a director at Thomson Reuters, said: “Legal employers need to implement these changes quickly or risk missing out on talent from a broader range of backgrounds and experience.”