Breaking the partnership barrier: practical strategies for building inclusive promotion paths

The Law Society’s 2024 annual statistics report shows only a marginal annual increase in female partners – from 34% to 35% – highlighting the persistent barriers to progression.

At a recent roundtable, Women in Law Pledge signatories from private practice and in-house legal teams came together to share practical strategies and insights on creating more inclusive promotion pathways.

The discussion revealed the signatories’ strong commitment to change, with organisations implementing targeted initiatives to address issues including leadership readiness, opaque promotion paths and loss of talent.

Leadership development: building confidence and capability

Progression to senior roles demands more than legal expertise, yet junior solicitors often lack sufficient opportunities to build essential skills such as leadership and business development, leaving them underprepared for partnership.

Ensuring equitable access to these opportunities from early careers stages is essential for inclusive advancement.

Business development should be framed as an organisation-wide responsibility, with the expectation, and opportunity, to participate from paralegal to partner level.

Some firms and organisations are ensuring that leadership training begins at associate level and that the pathway to partnership is visible and accessible.

Addressing the ‘confidence gap’ – helping younger women solicitors not only understand the promotion process but also envision themselves in senior roles – is a key priority.

Signatories are investing in targeted leadership programmes for associates aspiring to partnership.

Designed to build both skills and confidence, these initiatives have already resulted in new partner appointments.

As one participant observed, “we are all outstanding lawyers, but what we are never taught is how to be outstanding leaders”.

This shift – from technical excellence to leadership readiness – is often overlooked early in legal careers, yet it is critical to unlocking partnership potential.

Transparency and talent planning

Transparency emerged as a key theme throughout the discussion.

When promotion processes lack clarity and consistency, they may unintentionally exclude under-represented groups and reinforce existing inequalities.

Several participants noted that they are redesigning their senior promotions processes to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) throughout.

This includes interviewing women who have recently gone through the process to identify pain points and successes, leading to workshops that “demystify” promotion criteria and expectations.

A notable shift is the move away from passive nomination models.

Rather than waiting for individuals to put themselves forward for promotion, managers are encouraged to proactively engage with all eligible candidates. This ensures that no one is overlooked due to lack of confidence or visibility.

It is crucial to hold regular conversations between group heads and individual associates, including discussions around career development and progression.

Male allyship was also highlighted as a critical factor in supporting gender equity in the profession.

One proactive approach included a sponsorship education programme for male leaders aimed at deepening their understanding of the barriers women face and equipping them to support advancement in meaningful and informed ways.

Alternative career paths: advancement beyond partnership?

There is growing recognition that not all talented legal professionals aspire to or will achieve partnership.

For the women who do pursue partnership, the journey is often longer, with more twists and turns, than in the past.

With partnership now potentially taking 15 years or more post-qualification, there is increased risk of losing people along the way.

To counter this, organisations are developing programmes that include mentoring, coaching and personal brand building, particularly for mid-career associates where attrition is often highest.

It is vital for organisations to analyse their data to identify where women are being lost along the promotion path and act accordingly.

Organisations are tracking data at practice area level to monitor a number of inclusion metrics including gender, with regular review sessions between inclusion teams and practice groups to address issues promptly.

However, despite progress in some areas, it is essential for organisations to invest effectively in alternative career pathways beyond partnership to ensure the profession reflects the diverse aspirations and life circumstances of its talent, particularly for women who may take career breaks for parenting or caring responsibilities.