Nazia Nawaz, Head of our Contentious Probate team, has featured on Lawyer Monthly, discussing whether the pandemic and remote working has halted diversity’s and inclusion progress in law?
In comments made in the publication, Nazia explained how firms have been forced to embrace different ways of working since the beginning of the pandemic, offering flexibility, in particular for those who have dependants, something which is perhaps more common in different communities.
Commenting she said: “There are obviously setbacks too, in particular in the category of new entrants to the profession and I do fear that the pandemic may have widened the longstanding gap in diversity at that level. The impact of this will be felt in the next few years and inevitably, for instance, school children from minority backgrounds are likely to have been so adversely impacted by this pandemic that opportunities for a career in the legal sector will become even more limited for them. I think a lot of work is needed now on improving access to the legal profession for children from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds in order to maintain and improve diversity at that level over the coming years.
“Despite these challenges”, she concludes, “I remain optimistic and hopeful that the legal sector will continue to offer great opportunities to people of all backgrounds.”
Read the full Lawyer Monthly article here.