Campaigners have toasted the official disappearance of an anachronism from legal correspondence.
Law Society guidance on diversity and inclusion language was altered this month to ask members to stop using the words ‘Dear Sirs’ at the start of letters and emails. The phrase has been a staple of legal correspondence for hundreds of years and refers back to a time when the profession was entirely male.
But after its continued use was called out by equality campaigners, the Society issued new guidance saying this vocabulary is not inclusive.
‘This gendered greeting perpetuates the assumption that the recipients of correspondence are by default men,’ said the Society. ‘This is no longer accurate, representative or appropriate in today’s diverse society, where we want to account for and represent the broad scope of recipients including women and individuals with other gender identities including non-binary.’
If they do not know the identity of the recipient, members are encouraged to use neutral terms such as ‘Dear legal team’, ‘Dear all’ or simply ‘greetings’ or ‘good morning’.
The guidance adds: ‘These alternatives maintain professionalism while ensuring your communication is respective of all gender identities. If you know the person’s name, always use it. If not, keep it simple and neutral rather than overly formal.’
Ellie Rees, founder and director at estate agency Brickworks, had flagged up the outdated term on national radio and worked with the Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority to get the new guidance in place.
‘Finally, the wording means women are seen and heard in legal correspondence and the workplace,’ said Rees.
Her fellow campaigner, solicitor and HiveRisk chief executive Kate Burt, added: 'The Law Society's guidance is a welcome step towards closing the gender authority gap and building a more inclusive, representative profession.'
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