BAME solicitors earn 25% less than white colleagues

A report on the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) solicitors by The Law Society identified that BAME solicitors earn 25% less on average than their white counterparts.

White solicitors earn an average of £36.13 per hour but BAME solicitors earn an average of £27.01 per hour – a difference of £9.12 – while also working on average 1.5 hours more per week to “prove themselves”.

Law Society President David Greene said: “In commissioning the research, we set out to explore the data on representation in greater detail and to assess the progress towards a more inclusive profession through focus groups and interviews with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic solicitors, those working in HR and recruitment, and thought leaders.”

According to the findings, one-third of Black African and Caribbean solicitors reported experiencing “some form of discrimination or bullying” at work. Included in the microaggressions experienced by solicitors are othering, misidentification (ie, being regularly referred to by the wrong name or mistaken for someone less senior), and cultural assumptions and exclusions.

Meanwhile, only 8% of partners in the largest firms (50+ partners) are BAME, with representation at partner level increasing by only 1% since 2014. This figure is higher in single partner firms, with individuals from BAME backgrounds making up 34% of partners. Speaking about sole practitioners, an Asian, male solicitor said: “What you will find with many sole practitioners is that they did work in a law firm, don’t get any offer of progression and then they leave and set up by themselves instead where they can be a partner. I can probably bet my bottom dollar to say that a very high proportion of these people felt frustrated in their previous roles, that they have left and they have gone to set up by themselves – because it is a risk.”

A Black, female solicitor said: “I felt like I needed to make that transition to the public sector because the pay was better, there was better job security, and for me I felt there was more opportunity to develop and progress my career. I didn’t think I could do that in the private sector because the heights are partnership, that is the furthest you can go and was out of reach to me.”

To conclude, the Law Society report states that “as well as measuring Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic as a group across the profession, representation should also be measured by firm and by specific ethnic group to more clearly highlight the issues”, before outlining the key issues identified in the report and recommending ways that firms can address and tackle them.

The major issues raised in the report include entry to the profession, retention, development and progression, inclusion, and data and evaluation.