TO BE PUBLISHED February 2026
Starting from:
£99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will examine next steps for equality, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession in England and Wales.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss priorities in the context of the forthcoming Legal Services Board consultation on its draft statutory statement of policy on encouraging a diverse legal profession.
Leadership & accountability
Discussion will bring out latest thinking on approaches to addressing structural barriers and gender imbalance in senior roles, as well as issues around regulatory consistency, monitoring and accountability, and where responsibilities for oversight lie. We also expect delegates to consider the recent decision by the Bar Standards Council not to proceed with proposals to amend Core Duty 8 to create a proactive equality and diversity obligation.
Talent pipeline & wider strategy
Approaches to maximising benefits of diversity will be considered, looking at opportunities for workforce resilience, innovation, and growth, and assessing the future of firm-led and sector-wide access schemes within the context of the Government’s wider professional and business services strategy. Planned sessions will also examine entry routes for solicitors and the SRA’s new business plan and the balance it seeks to strike between promoting EDI and responding to wider performance, trust, and oversight concerns.
Further planned sessions look ahead to the new Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy expected in 2026, and consider insights from the 2020-2025 strategy as it concludes. Delegates will assess latest thinking on the way forward for tackling barriers to judicial appointments and disparities in representation between solicitors and barristers, as well as the work of new and existing advocacy networks.
Best practice & coordination
We also expect emerging tensions in the diversity landscape to be considered, including shifts in organisational practice and language, legal uncertainty around the Equality Act and statutory questionnaires, and concerns around legal exposure for employers. The agenda will also assess the wider relationship between judicial diversity, public confidence, and access to justice, with discussion on the respective roles of regulators, professional bodies, law firms, and government in developing an inclusive legal system that reflects public expectations and supports a strong, trusted profession.
Overview of areas for discussion
- regulatory developments: LSB policy on encouraging a diverse profession - impact of the BSB decision on Core Duty 8 - regulatory engagement and compliance
- oversight: issues for the current model of legal services regulation - LSB powers and relationships with frontline regulators - maintaining coordination and public confidence
- solicitor entry routes:
- implications of removing government funding for Level 7 apprenticeships - new financial support for SQE candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds
- addressing disparities in outcomes and progression - potential risks for older and career-change candidates - effects on small firm participation and regional access
- qualifying exams and fairness: impact of the SRA’s Access & Reinvestment Fund - disparities in outcomes for minority and disadvantaged candidates - assessing SQE delivery
- law firm schemes: effectiveness of firm-led diversity programmes - transparency, reach and evaluation - opportunities for closer alignment with national social mobility goals
- workforce development:
- role of diversity in supporting sector resilience and long-term talent needs - potential benefits of coordinated support from government and regulators
- place of legal services in the wider Professional and Business Services Sector Plan
- judicial appointments:
- priorities for the next phase of reform following the 2020-2025 strategy - contributions of the Judicial Diversity Forum and judicial mentoring networks
- learning from recent outreach initiatives - the Justice Committee inquiry into legal services and access
- legal career progression: disparity in judicial appointment rates for solicitors - transparency in selection processes
- emerging issues: Equality Act interpretation following recent case law - proposals to reinstate Section 138 questionnaires - implications for employers managing legal and reputational risk
