Ethnic minorities get raw deal as firms stick to traditional partnership profile

YOUNG SOLICITORS CONFERENCE: few delegates know what it takes to become a partner

Top lawyers last week cited law firms' refusal to change their partner profiles as a barrier to ethnic minorities hoping to progress in the profession.

Speaking at the Young Solicitors Group annual conference, Makbool Javaid, a former Commission for Racial Equality lawyer who is now a partner at City firm DLA, said: 'Law is a very traditional field and to become a partner at a firm you have to fit in.

But the world is changing and we need to open up the profession to those people with talent.'

He continued: 'A lot of partners can't even communicate at home, let alone at work and have no interpersonal skills.

This coupled with the fact that trade is becoming more international leaves great opportunities for ethnic minorities to become the lawyers the profession needs.'

Dele Ogun, partner at London firm Ogun Law, said the key to becoming a partner at a conventional law firm was the 'ability to fit into a set mould'.

'To become a partner you must have the ability to become anonymous in a firm and this is obviously a barrier to minorities,' he said.

Meanwhile, young lawyers also voiced their concern that they do not know what is expected of them in order to progress to partnership.

Only one out of 30 delegates at a workshop on partnership issues said they knew what was required of them to take the step up.

Young lawyers said they were not sure how to approach partners to ask what path they should be taking and commented on how a review of figures or billable hours does not necessarily reflect how good a lawyer is.

Judith Pike, a partner at Leeds commercial firm Walker Morris, replied: 'Partners don't necessarily like to say to assistants "Do X,Y and Z to reach partner level", because goals constantly change.

It's more likely they'll be honest and tell you if aims aren't being met.'

She added that partnership criteria would differ depending on the size of the firm and that 'in smaller practices being next in line as opposed to matching a list of skills usually brings about partnership'.

Mark Dillon, training partner at City firm Nabarro Nathanson, said: 'When approaching senior firm members to ask about partnership, make it clear that you're interested in the welfare of yourself, the department and the firm.

There is a reason for you being there and you want to know exactly what that reason is.'

Andrew Towler