In recent years, the regulatory lens has shifted. Once dominated by rules and risk assessments, the conversation around professional conduct is now increasingly centred on culture, an important issue for junior lawyers.
The risks that centre on culture are evident. As one non-fee-earner told the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Workplace Thematic Review: ‘A lot of the time it doesn’t feel worth reporting issues because firms may choose the fact that somebody is a valuable fee-earner over their culture… you feel like you shouldn’t raise issues so as not to cause friction or face potential mistreatment further down the line.’
SRA’s cultural turn
‘Law firm culture’ is now under active scrutiny by the SRA, which no longer regards this as a peripheral concern but as integral to ethical compliance and public trust.
This is made explicit in the SRA’s 2023-2026 strategy, Workplace Culture Thematic Review and Workplace Environment Guidance, where culture is identified as a cornerstone of ethical and effective legal service delivery. The guidance states: ‘We will take action if we believe that there has been a serious regulatory failure. For example, where the work environment does not support the delivery of appropriate outcomes and services to clients. Or creates a culture in which unethical behaviour can flourish or where staff are persistently unable to raise concerns or have issues addressed.’
As part of its thematic review, the SRA heard from junior lawyers who reported that they were discouraged from reporting ethical concerns and that leadership failed to take responsibility for the pressures placed on fee-earners. Some felt that they could not admit mistakes.
These findings are increasingly shaping enforcement decisions and now demand both awareness and action from law firms.
Defining ‘good culture’ in legal practice
So, what does ‘good culture’ look like in law firms? And how can it authentically be embedded into day-to-day legal practice?
The answer cannot be reduced to slogans or well-drafted policies. While mission statements and ethics training are important, the SRA’s view is that culture is measured by behaviour, not intentions.
A good culture is one where solicitors feel supported in exercising independent judgement, where ethical concerns can be raised without fear of reprisal, and where inclusivity is reflected in recruitment, promotion and leadership. It is a culture that prioritises clients’ interests without sacrificing the wellbeing of the professional delivering the service.
Challenges in shifting culture
Traditional hierarchies, commercial pressures and entrenched norms are all impediments to progress.
Junior lawyers in particular face billable-hour expectations that are difficult to reconcile with sustainable working practices. They can struggle to raise concerns or admit mistakes, fearing this could jeopardise their progression. That can lead to ethical corners being cut – not out of malice, but out of necessity.
In a recent case, a law firm faced regulatory censure not for a direct breach of the Code of Conduct, but because its internal culture discouraged junior lawyers from challenging senior colleagues’ decisions – leading later to a material client risk. While the conduct itself was borderline, the culture that facilitated it became the decisive factor in the SRA’s intervention.
Ethics must be lived, not laminated
To meet the evolving standard, law firms must move beyond superficial commitments and integrate ethics into the fabric of their organisation’s structure. This starts at the top. Partners and senior management must actively model ethical decision-making, demonstrate transparency and remain open to challenge.
The following practical steps can also be taken:
- Hold regular ethics training tailored to different roles and seniority with real-life scenarios.
- Use anonymous reporting systems.
- Introduce ethics committees within departments to keep cultural considerations at the forefront of operations.
- Allow staff to take ownership of work. This can help flatten hierarchical cultures and generate greater trust and respect.
- Actively address and call out poor behaviour when it is brought to attention, ensuring that policies are implemented and credible.
- Incorporate culture into appraisal and promotion decisions.
- Reward behaviours that align with the firm’s stated values.
- Create wellbeing support that recognises the pressure of legal work and provides meaningful, ongoing assistance.
Culture is no longer an optional extra or ‘tick-box compliance’ in the management of legal practices. The effectiveness of the initiative is judged by its impact, and firms that fail to engage meaningfully with culture risk being left behind.
As individuals, there is also an obligation to act. Under the Code of Conduct, every solicitor must act with integrity, uphold the rule of law and behave in ways that maintain public trust. These duties apply regardless of firm culture. We must all reflect on how we work, how that affects those around us and what we can do to be better.
Nusrat Siddique is an executive committee member of the Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division
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