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I have read this article three times, and still cannot see what it's getting at. Is the author - or the report - alleging that the minority ethnic students are being discriminated against in trying to gain their qualification? If so, I'd like to see the evidence. If not, what is the point of the article? Where the article states 'It will come as another blow for the profession’s reputation for diversity...', how can it be a blow unless the profession is actively doing something to hinder these students?

Now, if it is being suggested that somebody somewhere is deliberately singling out minority ethnic students and, for instance, marking their papers differently to non-ethnic minority students, or not providing the same level of support, then it is scandalous and should be looked at. If we are simply being shown statistics - what are we supposed to be doing as a profession? Are we supposed to be - and I hate the term - positively discriminating to enable the ethnic minority students to have a 'leg up' in their studies? If so, I find that equally appalling.

Isn't the entire point of any examination to test knowledge? If the knowledge isn't there, should we be saying 'oh go on then, while you're an ethnic minority we'll let you off'? I'm sure the students to whom that might apply would not want to qualify via that concession, and ultimately the profession would be damaged by having solicitors with inadequate skills.

I accept that I may have missed the point. I am a white British female solicitor, and have never personally had any issues with either negative or positive discrimination. If I am in error, I am more than happy to have this pointed out to me as I am genuinely puzzled as to what we as a profession should, or shouldn't, be doing with the statistics mentioned.