Embracing neurodiversity and why law firms are learning to support their staff

Making workplaces neuro-inclusive brings benefits for all members of staff and for businesses too, as Peter Ranscombe finds out.

Let’s begin with a question – what is neurodiversity? Each of our brains processes information in a different way, which leads to differences in who we are and how we act. In other words, neurodiversity includes everyone. In the same way that the word ‘biodiversity’ includes all life on the planet, ‘neurodiversity’ includes all of us – it’s not a label that’s simply attached to a specific group of people.

While the way each individual’s brain processes information is subtly different, similarities give rise to groups or ‘neurotypes’. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh believe the most common group is probably ‘neurotypical’ people, while other groups ­form ‘neurominorities’, including people who are autistic, people who are dyslexic or people who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Researchers refer to individuals within those neurominority groups as ‘neuro-atypical’ or ‘neurodivergent’. If all the neurominority groups were added together then they might be the biggest group, the researchers believe.

One of the major trends discussed by businesses and organisations in recent decades has been to increase diversity of thought within leadership teams and among boards of directors. When groups of people who approach problems from different angles are brought together, researchers believe their diversity of thought yields more creative solutions.

Barriers to education and employment

“What we try to do is help organisations understand more about how we each see and process and experience the world, and what unique strengths and characteristics that can come with,” explains Alan Thornburrow, chief executive at Mindroom, an Edinburgh-based charity. “In an ideal world, that leads to enlightened conversations about have we got the right people on the right tasks here – are we getting the most from each other?”

Mindroom was founded in 2000 by Sophie and Robin Dow after their daughter, Annie, was born with certain chromosomes missing, a condition so rare that it’s now known as ‘Annie’s syndrome’. They were joined in 2014 by Dr Alastair Salvesen, the well-known Scottish businessman, who died in 2024.

“The founding principles of Mindroom were about supporting parents and carers of children who are neurodivergent,” explains Alan. “Children and young people experience quite a lot of barriers in life through assessments, accessing education, attainment and moving onto positive destinations.

“A few years ago, we decided to extend our work into employment and the world of work because we found so many of the young people who we worked with were reaching the end of their formal education and finding fewer opportunities – the employment rate is significantly lower for particular parts of the neurodivergent population.

“It wasn’t a lack of ‘want’ from employers – it was a lack of understanding. Our work with young people involves coaching, advice and support for families. With employers, it’s slightly different – it’s more about training, education and understanding.”

Accessing a broader pool of skills and talents

Law firms are among the employers that have worked with Mindroom. Some of that work involves specialist training for line managers or even whole firms, so that they gain a better understanding of neurodiversity and learning styles, while other work involves helping firms to develop policies or strategies.

“Law firms seem quite progressive and realise there’s a competitive advantage to being able to tap into a broader pool of skills and talents,” says Alan, who recently gave evidence about neurodiversity in the workplace to the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. “We all come with unique skills and talents but, in certain neurotypes, those can be over indexed, so you might find you’ve got pockets of individuals with far more creative skills, or greater attention to detail.”

The Legal Neurodiversity Network (LNN) was founded in 2023 and now has more than 100 members, ranging from ‘magic circle’ law firms through to smaller practices. In 2024, LNN published recommendations for “optimising retention and career progression for neurodivergent individuals in the legal profession”, with the Law Society of Scotland, which supports LNN, holding a webinar to discuss the report’s findings.

“It’s genuinely not just about doing the right thing because it’s good corporate citizenship, it’s about improving how your organisation runs,” Alan adds. “It’s improving communication, collaboration, productivity – and in a world that is ever more complex, who wouldn’t want that? In a sector that has so much detail-orientation and complexity around it, the skills profile of lots of people who might see themselves as being neurodivergent is actually a huge asset for law firms.

“It isn’t a huge undertaking to learn more about this topic, to have better conversations within your organisation, and to start to normalise the fact that we all have really quite different perspectives and ways of processing the world, and we should see that as a strength rather than a deficit.”

Both cultural and practical benefits

Burness Paull is one of the law firms with which Mindroom is working. “Through tailored training and practical guidance, they have equipped us with the knowledge and confidence to better understand and support our neurodivergent colleagues, as well as parents and carers of neurodivergent young people,” says Emma Smith, the firm’s inclusion and wellbeing manager.

“They have also supported a review of our people processes end-to-end, helping us ensure they are inclusive by design and fit for purpose – from recruitment and onboarding through to reasonable adjustment and career development. Their education sessions have built greater awareness and understanding among colleagues and managers, strengthening our collective capability to create an inclusive environment.”

Emma adds: “The benefits have been both cultural and practical. We have developed a deeper appreciation of the importance of treating people as individuals – recognising that everyone’s strengths, challenges and support needs are different.

“Crucially, we have created a safer and more open environment where colleagues feel confident to articulate the adjustments or support they may need. By prioritising psychological safety and understanding, we are fostering a culture where conversations around neurodiversity are welcomed and where every individual has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”