This award showcased the most innovative and successful examples of best practice in the promotion of equality and diversity in the solicitors' profession. The aim was to highlight the importance of being proactive in embracing diversity policies and practices, both as employers and as providers of legal services to clients.
The judges were hugely impressed by Allen & Overy's commitment to diversity, led from the top by the Senior Partner. The wide range of activity to address diversity issues has brought clear results and sets a benchmark for the profession.
Shortlisted: Bevan Brittan LLP (Bristol)
Bevan Brittan created partnerships with a range of local schools and colleges, offering work experience and careers advice to students from diverse backgrounds. They also involved clients in their diversity programme to share best practice and required their suppliers to answer diversity question on recent tenders. In house Bevan Brittan had a diversity working group with representative from their three offices.
Shortlisted: CPS West Yorkshire (Leeds)
The Judges were impressed with the CPS West Yorkshire's Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel, the first of its kind in the CPS which scrutinised how CPS West Yorkshire dealt with hate crimes such as race, religion, homophobia and disability. In working with scrutiny panel members the staff engaged with the community better and this resulted in lowering attrition rates of hate crime cases as well an increase in prosecutions, even though the number of reported crimes had not increased.
Shortlisted: Shoosmiths (Birmingham)
Shoosmiths' firmwide strategy of 'inclusivity' impressed the judges. The firm had a number of practices in place from recruitment to a comprehensive training programme that involved diversity. The judges took particular note of the improvements made to the graduate recruitment process and the widening of the talent pool by changing the entry selection criteria to include those who have not been through the traditional career path.
Shortlisted: Thaliwal Bridge Solicitors (Leicester)
The judges were impressed that Thaliwal Bridge, a mental health practice, undertook initiatives to forge relationships with specialist advocacy groups that dealt with BME issues. The firm also liaised with Leicester City Council and the Leicestershire ethnic minority partnership with a view to staying at the forefront of diversity matters. Thaliwal Bridge were also committed to promoting diversity in relation to employees.