As I read the letter headed ‘Cheap Labour’ (see [2008] Gazette, 29 May, 11), it struck me that it could have been written by any number of my women solicitor colleagues, many of whom suffer the double discrimination of being female and black or Asian.

I have spent many years in the trade union movement, some of that time in private practice. I have witnessed the flood of young women, often from ethnic minorities, choosing a career in the law. Yet I have been saddened and shocked by the lip-service paid to family-friendly policies and the practices and promotion of women, even by some so-called ‘politically correct’ firms. In many cases, they do not practise what they preach and still continue to pressurise and overwork low-paid staff with young children, while at the same time enthusiastically pursuing campaigning litigation in the equalities field for their clients. I have also witnessed stressed-out staff being too afraid to bring complaints at the risk of losing their careers in the profession. My personal experience is that the ones who do complain are made to feel so uncomfortable that they decide to leave, or they are made redundant or re-organised out of their jobs.

It is heartening to see that some firms are now actively promoting diversity, as evidenced in the joint TUC/CBI report Talent not Tokenism. In the report, law firm Pinsent Masons is championed for its equal opportunities and family-friendly policies. The conclusion reached is that these policies have ‘earned real business benefits for employers’. The report also provides guidance on how firms can go beyond their legal duties to promote diversity.

Let us hope that the previous contributor’s comments and criticisms are taken on board and do not merely receive a patronising nod of recognition from the great and the good. Needless to say, in raising these issues publicly, we sisters all have to remain anonymous, as the risk to our professional futures is too great.