Society hopes revised "Profile of the Profession" survey will shed new light

A major research project on the legal profession in 2018 has been launched by the Law Society of Scotland, with the aim of advancing its equality and diversity work.

The Profile of the Profession 2018, carried out by independent researchers Rocket Science, will collect demographic information about those working in Scotland’s legal sector along with their current occupation, including details of their current working patterns, such as hours of work, flexible working arrangements and use of any career breaks, to explore the changes in the profession in the past five years.

Conducted anonymously, the survey will also ask if members of the legal profession have experienced discrimination and about bullying and harassment issues which they may have experienced personally or witnessed in the workplace.

More than 3,400 Scottish solicitors took part in the last Profile of the Profession survey in 2013. This year’s survey will be expanded to seek the views of all practising and trainee solicitors, and also non-practising members, those retained on the roll and accredited paralegals.

Rob Marrs, the Society's head of diversity, commented: “We had a tremendous response to the previous profile of the profession research, with over 3,400 solicitors taking part, and we encourage all of our members to participate this year to make sure we have an equally positive result.

“It’s important that we know who our members are and that we understand just how the legal profession is changing over the years. For example, the public at large may be surprised to learn that the profession is now majority female: however, women tend to progress more slowly in the profession and the gender distribution is not even. We do not know, however, the ethnicity backgrounds or social backgrounds. It is important that the profession represents the public it serves and this survey allows us to better understand that.

“The research findings will provide insight into the attitudes of individuals in the profession on a range of equality issues and will help to identify any issues in relation to employment policies and career development within the legal sector. The results will also help to set the agenda for our future equality and diversity work – we fully believe that by making this central to our work we can ensure that we continue to have a vibrant and innovative legal profession that is accessible to all and attracts the brightest and best talent.”

Results from the 2013 survey provided insight into the gender pay gap in the legal profession and led to further research in specific areas including a transgender experience case study, perceptions and impacts of working patterns within the legal profession, and experiences of established legal professionals within the profession.

It also led to the development of the Society’s equality standards, which all law firms are encouraged to adopt, and an increased awareness about potential barriers to progression, and a series of well-received guides for parents in the profession.

The survey, which is open until 30 May, will take approximately 15-25 minutes, though some respondents may take longer to complete it. Respondents can claim up to one hour CPD. 

Click here to access the survey.