Call to 'name and shame' law firms that fail to take on ethnic minority solicitors

City law firms which consistently fail to employ ethnic minority solicitors should be sanctioned by the Law Society, according to speakers at the Law Society's forum on diversity in the profession, held last week.The event, hosted by Society President David McIntosh and Maria Fernandes, the council member for ethnic minority interests, was billed as a chance for members of the profession to discuss issues such as diversity in the workplace and representation of ethnic minority views.Delegates spoke of the difficulties encountered by ethnic minority solicitors in trying to get training contracts at large City firms.

David Webster, partner at two-partner City firm Webster Dixon and a member of the Black Solicitors Network, said the Society should 'name and shame' large firms which do not take on a satisfactory number of ethnic minority trainees.

'The government names and shames Oxbridge colleges who do not take on enough state school pupils, so I propose that the Law Society does the same with these firms,' he said.

Mr McIntosh stressed the Society's commitment to diversity in the profession, and said that he intended the Society to become 'a model regulator and employer which other bodies benchmark themselves against in terms of ethnic diversity'.

Next week, the Society's council will be asked to approve a comprehensive strategy on equality and diversity, and an action programme to implement this strategy by reviewing all of Chancery Lane's activities.Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Society as a regulator is subject to a new general duty to have 'due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination' and to promote equality.

It is also reviewing the anti-discrimination rule in view of responsibilities arising from EU directives on employment and race.

These will also lead to a ban on employment discrimination based on age, sexual orientiation, religion, and belief.

Victoria MacCallum