In depth: Celebrating law's neurodivergent community

Rarely if ever can a legal conference have started with an impromptu appearance by TV comedian Rory Bremner and a 20-minute meditation session.

But then, ‘difference’ was the core theme of the first Legal Unmasked conference held this week in London. The event was designed to accommodate and celebrate the neurodivergent community in the legal profession, as well as provide a safe space for sharing tips and the odd horror story.

Bremner had not been scheduled to appear but decided on the spur of the moment – as, he joked, might have been expected with his own ADHD – to come out to Woolwich. He urged the legal sector to recognise the qualities that neurodivergent people can bring. 

Jessica Lazarus, director of legal operations at DWF, put together the conference after receiving her own adult ADHD diagnosis and finding an army of people in the law in similar situations. The meditation session was one of several innovations to put delegates at ease, from standing tables and a decompression room, to pipe cleaners on every table as fidget toys.

‘This started as the spark of an idea, one of those chaotic moments I’m sure you all relate to,’ Lazarus told a packed conference room. ‘There are so many of us and we are all lucky enough to possess the “thinking differently” gene which makes us unique.’

She explained that it was now a strategic imperative for firms to get the best out of their neurodivergent talent. On a basic level, that means open and honest conversations between employers and staff, asking people what they need and trying to accommodate that. This is not, as the stereotype might ascribe, about offering quiet spaces and headphones (although some might benefit from these), but recognising that individuals have their own needs.

'When you get into a law firm as someone with ADHD, it is like being back at school' 

Richard Harris, chief legal officer

The mood among the delegates was overwhelmingly supportive – but, based on several testimonies, there is some way to go to improving working lives. There is even evidence that employers are less likely to take on neurodivergent individuals, fearful that they may be hit with a list of demands on day one. Such misgivings have caused people to hide their condition during interviews and even throughout their working lives.

‘Not everyone feels safe to disclose,’ said Professor Amanda Kirby, a global authority on neurodiversity. ‘Some employers are going to hit back and say underneath [neurodivergent people] are too much trouble. I am fearful of this because it is happening. There has been a reduction in people disclosing they are neurodivergent. There is a reality here that we might not want to talk about.’

The conference was keen to dispel myths about how difficult it may be to provide reasonable adjustments. It does not mean, for example, changing the entire office set-up. Instead, the emphasis was on having open conversations, treating people as individuals, being aware when people are facing burnout (and giving them time to recover), and amending how work is assessed through targets and billing hours. One lawyer said their firm analysed how quickly they recorded hours after finishing a piece of work, ignoring how difficult they found it to switch tasks so swiftly.

Richard Harris is a chief legal officer who has dyslexia and ADHD. He said that the culture of some firms is not conducive to neurodivergent people, which means those firms are missing out on the benefits they bring in the new world where knowledge is commodified. Indeed, it was noticeable how many attendees had left private practice to go in-house or start their own legal-facing business.

‘When you get into a law firm as someone with ADHD, it is like being back at school,’ said Harris. ‘Those same fears of making a mistake or speaking out of turn come back and you’re floundering. In some firms, there is a whitewash going on with leaders saying one thing and doing something different. What will be increasingly important is how people apply their personality as well as their skills. The law is looking for difference and something that adds value. Those with neurodiversity look at the world in a different way and that has massive value.’

The ‘super-power’ tag jars with many. Speakers were keen to stress how a neurodivergent person seeming to be coping well will often be masking their struggle and exhaustion. But the tone was upbeat, as Bremner wanted to highlight.

‘A lot of your life is about spinning plates, but in between that you realise you are an incredibly loved and appreciated member of your workforce because you bring something different.’