Recent data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority shows that equity partnership in law firms remains heavily dominated by men. For all the progress the profession has made, the upper tiers of leadership still do not reflect the diversity of those entering it.
At Osbornes Law, the picture looks different. Today, 61% of partners are women, and 54% of equity partners are female. That did not happen by accident, and it is not the result of a one particular policy or initiative.
Too often, conversations about gender balance in law focus on what is written down: policies, statements, commitments on websites. These matter, but they are not what defines a firm. Culture is reflected in who sits around the partnership table. If a firm genuinely supports progression, people will see it.
I know this first-hand because I am, in many ways, a product of the culture I now lead. I joined Osbornes as a solicitor at 30 and progressed to partner, then equity partner at 37, and managing partner at 41. The environment I stepped into was already one where women could thrive. My role now is to carry that forward and to demonstrate, by example, what is possible.
Representation matters. As a female managing partner in my early 40s, I am still something of an outlier in the profession. I look forward to the point where the appointment of a female managing partner is no longer headline news, but simply the norm. Leadership should not feel exceptional; it should feel achievable. One of the biggest barriers to progression remains the lack of visible role models. If people cannot see someone like them at the top, it is harder to imagine themselves getting there.
But culture is not just about who leads, it is about how people are supported along the way.
One of the clearest examples of this is how we approach parenthood. Maternity leave is too often treated, implicitly or explicitly, as a career pause. It is not. It is a natural part of life for many, and firms need to be more realistic in how they think about progression during that time.
I was made an equity partner while on maternity leave, alongside another colleague. More recently, we promoted two senior associates to partner while they were also on maternity leave. That should not be unusual but across the profession, it still is.
Support also needs to be practical. Returning to work after having children brings inevitable challenges: illness, medical appointments, childcare arrangements that do not always go to plan. At Osbornes, partners returning from maternity leave are given additional annual leave in their first year to help manage that transition. It is a small adjustment, but one that reflects an understanding of real life.
We have also modernised our maternity and paternity policies more broadly, and this is not a one-off exercise. These policies need to be kept under constant review, not only to ensure fairness, but to ensure they genuinely support people.
That same thinking has informed the introduction of new benefits around reproductive health. One of my first acts as managing partner was to team up with Hertility Health to offer clinically validated at-home hormone testing for our team and their partners, screening for a range of conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, alongside specialist consultations for menopause and perimenopause.
Too often, people assume these challenges will not affect them, until they do. By giving colleagues access to information and support early, we hope to help them take control of their health and make informed decisions. As managing partner, my responsibility is to support our people - nearly three-quarters of whom are women - to be healthy, happy and able to thrive at work.
Support also means recognising the full spectrum of experiences. That includes acknowledging baby loss at any stage of pregnancy. Work is such a significant part of our lives that employers have a duty to respond with compassion and understanding when people face difficult moments.
Flexibility is another essential part of the picture. We will not be reversing our hybrid working policies in favour of a full-scale return to the office. Our lawyers all have responsibilities outside work that do not fit neatly around a 9-to-5 structure. The profession needs to be honest about that.
There is a persistent myth that flexibility comes at the expense of productivity. In my experience, the opposite is often true. Give a job to a busy working parent, and it will get done. We do not expect our working parents or carers to be superheroes, but what I observe is that many of them bring an extraordinary level of focus and efficiency to their work precisely because they have to. There’s nothing quite like the 3:30pm school bell to focus minds.
We have worked hard to create an environment where people feel heard. Colleagues can share ideas openly or anonymously, and every suggestion is considered and responded to with clear reasoning. That does not mean every idea will be adopted, but it does mean every voice is valued.
As we look to the future, we have ambitious plans for growth. My role is to ensure we expand without losing what makes the firm distinctive. Culture is fragile; it requires constant attention.
Ultimately, firms that get this right do not need to tell people. Lawyers are perceptive. They can see whether women are progressing, whether leadership reflects the profession, and whether a firm truly stands behind its values.
In short, firms need to put their money where their mouth is.
Because when culture genuinely supports people to succeed, the results speak for themselves and people choose to stay.
Joanne Wescott is managing partner of Osbornes Law
