Pathways to partnership: challenging the myth of meritocracy

25 September 2020

Ten leading law firms have collaborated with the Bridge Group to understand whether, and how, socio-economic background affects progression to partner. The study analysed over a quarter of a million datapoints, more than 60 hours of interviews, and interrogated national datasets.

More than half of partners employed across the participating firms attended an independent school (53%), and the talent pipeline suggests that limited progress will be made over time. The figure is 47% for the wider employee population including associates and senior associates, and 46% among associates (the critical step on the journey to partner for most young people).

This proportion is higher than that of the subjects in Who’s Who, and much higher than amongst senior professionals from across sectors analysed in the recent Elitist Britain report (39%). It’s also significantly higher than the proportion of London-based partners in the legal profession who were educated privately (35% in Solicitors Regulation Authority data).

During the five-year period covered by the study, those from lower socio-economic and other minority backgrounds progress less quickly from senior associate to partner than peers from the dominant group (White males from higher socio-economic backgrounds).

Amongst our key findings:

• Those who identify as White progress to partner nearly two years more quickly compared with those from other ethnic groups.

• Those from lower socio-economic backgrounds take a year and a half longer on average to reach partner than their colleagues from higher social groups.

• Females take nearly a year longer to reach partner compared with males.

• Black and female employees are much more likely to be from lower socio-economic backgrounds (23% of Black female employees attended an independent school compared to 52% of White male employees, and 60% of Asian males).

• Ethnic group and gender combine with socio-economic background to amplify inequalities in rates of progression.

Nik Miller, Chief Executive, Bridge Group:

“There is much commitment in the law sector to this critical matter, but progress has been too slow for too long. Change must be informed by evidence and recommendations that are practicable: colleagues in the sector will find both of those things in this report.

Well-meaning initiatives to support minority groups can make a difference. But we need to challenge the majority group to ensure that, as they finish their careers in the next decade, they can feel proud of the legal system that they have shaped and now pass to others.”

Simon Davis, President, Law Society:

“Socio-economic challenges connect with all diversity and inclusion strands, but the impact of an individual’s background on access to opportunity, retention and career progression can be difficult to quantify.

To see firms collaborating on research of this kind, sharing resource and data to get to the heart of the issue is a good sign, as only by working together as a profession will we really be able to make a difference. Building on previous Bridge Group research on the relationship between early career progression in the law, this latest report gives us a fuller picture of the impact that socio-economic background has on varying stages of the employee life cycle, and asks us difficult questions. Many law firms are doing great things and have made good progress, more can and will be done.”

The summary report is available here.

Click anywhere on the video below to watch the report launch webinar.