2. Ethnic Minorities
in Law
1 Research Sources and Assumptions
1.1 Source
The data used in this factsheet is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
student record database. The data covers the academic year of 2007 – 2008.
Definitions of the various subject areas used in this factsheet can be found at:
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/102/136/1/4
1.2 Assumptions
l The data used refers to UK domiciled students only; it does not include overseas
students who are studying in the UK.
l Students falling under the ‘Unknown’ category have not been added to the White
group or any of the ethnic minority groups. Instead, these have either been
disregarded or represented as ‘Unknown’ in the analysis.
1.3 Definitions
The ethnic minority category groupings are based on Census 2001 categories.
Please note in particular that:
l White includes:
White
Irish Traveller
l Mixed includes:
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
Mixed – White and Black African
Mixed – White and Asian
Mixed – other
l Other includes:
Other ethnic background
l Not Known includes:
Not Known
Information refused
02 I Race for Opportunity (RfO) | Ethnic Minorities in Law
3. Ethnic Minorities
in Law
2 Ethnic Minorities in Law
2.1 Representation of Ethnic Minority Students in Law
Our research shows that amongst the various ethnic minority groups studying Law at
UK universities during 2007–08, students of Indian and Pakistani origin had the highest
representation (6.0 percent and 5.8 percent respectively), followed closely by Black African
students (5.0 percent). On the other hand, students from ‘Other Black’ backgrounds and
students of Chinese origin had the least representation among ethnic minority
groups (see figure 1).
Figure 1: Representation of Ethnic Minority Students Studying Law (2007-08)
Black Caribbean 1.9%
Black African 5%
Black Other 0.5%
Indian 6%
Pakistani 5.8%
Bangladeshi 1.6%
Chinese 0.9%
Other Asian 1.4%
Mixed 2.9%
Other 1.4%
Source: HESA Student Record (2007-08)
The total ethnic minority representation of students studying law
in 2007-08 was 27.4% compared to 68.6% of the White student
population studying law during 2007-08.
03 I Race for Opportunity (RfO) | Ethnic Minorities in Law
4. Ethnic Minorities
in Law
Ethnic Minorities in Law
We found that all ethnic minority groups had a higher representation of students studying Law,
1.9%
than of students studying all subjects. Pakistanis and Indians had the maximum percentage point
Black Caribbean 1.4%
increase (3.9 percentage points and 2.7 percentage points respectively - see figure 2)
5.0%
Black African 3.2%
0.5%
Black Other
Figure 2: Representation of Ethnic Minority Groups among Students Studying Law
0.3%
vis-à-vis All subjects (2007-08) 6.0%
Indian 3.3%
1.9% 5.8%
Black Caribbean Pakistani1.4% 1.9%
1.6% 5.0%
Black African Bangladeshi 3.2%
0.6%
0.5% 0.9%
Black Other Chinese
0.3% 0.9%
1.4% 6.0%
Indian Other Asian 3.3%
1.2%
2.9% 5.8%
Pakistani Mixed 1.9% 2.1%
Law
Bangladeshi 1.6% 1.4%
Other
0.6% All Subjects
0.9%
0.9%
Chinese 0.9% White Representation:
Law – 68.6%
1.4%
Other Asian All Subjects – 79.0%
1.2%
Mixed 2.9% Total Ethnic Minority
2.1% Representation:
Law
1.4% Law – 27.4%
Other All Subjects
0.9% All Subjects – 16.0%
Source: HESA Student Record (2007-08)
FAST FACTS 68.6% 79.0%
Earnings and ethnic minority pay gaps for all
private practitioners for 2007/08
In 2007-08, median annual earnings for White solicitors were £55k and
£45k for black and minority ethnic (BME) solicitors. 79.0% account
68.6% Taking no
of other factors that might be related to earnings, the median ethnic16.0%
27.4%
minority pay gap in yearly earnings was 18% for 2007/08 (NB: hourly
and per billed hour pay gaps were very slightly larger).
Source: The Law Society - Ethnicity and earnings in private practice; Findings from the 2008 salary survey June 2009
27.4% 16.0%
04 I Race for Opportunity (RfO) | Ethnic Minorities in Law
5. Ethnic Minorities in Law
2.2 UK Universities with the Highest Proportion of Ethnic Minority Students studying Law
In 2007/2008 there were 1.9 million UK domiciled students at UK universities of which just under 4 percent (70,975.5) were studying law as a subject1 .
Table 1 shows the top 25 universities ranked by the proportion of students from ethnic minority groups studying law (2007-08). Middlesex University had
the highest proportion (83.6 percent) of students from ethnic minorities, followed by the University of Bradford (79.3 percent) and University of Bedfordshire
(76.0 percent). These 25 universities constitute 47.7 percent of the total population of ethnic minority students studying Law at UK universities.
Table 1: Universities Ranked by Proportion of Students from Ethnic Minorities studying Law (2007–08)
Table 1: Universities Ranked by the Proportion of Ethnic Minority Students studying Law (2007–08)
Black African
Bangladeshi
All Black or Black or Other Asian or Asian or Asian or Other % of Total
Other Asian
Black Other
% of total
Minorities
Caribbean
Pakistani
Students
BME Law
Minori Black Black Black Asian Asian Asian Asian Mixed BAME Law
Top Universities
Chinese
Top 25 Universities Chinese Other Whites
Ethnic
Indian
Mixed
Other
White
Black
ties British British Backgro British British British Backgrou Ethnicity Students
All
Caribbean African und Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi nd
Middlesex University 83.6% 7.3% 22.9% 0.9% 13.5% 16.8% 6.4% 0.4% 5.4% 3.5% 6.4% 2.7% 13.8%
The University of Bradford 79.3% 0.6% 5.6% 0.9% 6.1% 58.6% 2.8% 0.3% 1.1% 2.6% 0.8% 1.8% 19.3%
University of Bedfordshire 76.0% 7.4% 18.8% 2.6% 3.5% 28.8% 5.2% 0.0% 3.1% 5.2% 1.3% 0.9% 16.2%
Brunel University 75.5% 8.2% 15.2% 1.1% 20.4% 10.7% 2.0% 2.2% 5.8% 5.3% 4.7% 2.5% 22.7%
Buckinghamshire New University 75.0% 1.6% 16.4% 0.8% 11.7% 33.0% 3.7% 0.8% 3.5% 2.7% 0.8% 0.5% 24.2%
The University of East London 73.3% 7.3% 29.8% 3.4% 5.0% 9.3% 7.3% 0.5% 2.3% 4.6% 3.8% 4.0% 19.5%
Thames Valley University 71.7% 10.3% 19.6% 2.5% 11.2% 9.0% 0.9% 0.3% 7.8% 4.7% 5.3% 1.2% 25.9%
London South Bank University 70.3% 9.5% 25.9% 1.7% 7.4% 5.6% 6.7% 1.0% 4.0% 5.0% 3.3% 2.4% 20.8%
Birmingham City University 68.4% 8.2% 4.8% 0.3% 16.0% 25.4% 5.2% 1.0% 2.3% 4.2% 0.8% 3.0% 30.5%
The School of Oriental and African Studies 67.2% 3.7% 10.6% 1.0% 11.6% 10.6% 5.4% 3.1% 7.7% 8.3% 5.2% 0.9% 30.7%
The University of Wolverhampton 65.0% 5.2% 3.8% 1.1% 26.3% 20.3% 2.3% 0.4% 1.2% 3.2% 1.2% 4.5% 31.4%
Kingston University 64.7% 6.8% 14.4% 1.0% 15.4% 9.1% 1.8% 1.0% 4.8% 5.7% 4.8% 2.8% 32.3%
The University of Greenwich 64.2% 4.5% 16.8% 1.0% 6.6% 8.6% 12.4% 1.9% 4.2% 3.9% 4.4% 1.4% 30.8%
The University of Westminster 62.2% 5.3% 12.5% 1.6% 11.9% 9.9% 6.4% 1.4% 2.7% 4.2% 6.4% 5.5% 31.4%
St Mary's University College, Twickenham 60.8% 4.8% 16.6% 1.6% 8.7% 6.7% 2.0% 0.0% 3.2% 7.9% 9.4% 0.1% 37.2%
The University of Bolton 60.5% 2.6% 8.1% 0.0% 9.0% 31.4% 0.9% 1.7% 1.7% 5.1% 0.0% 0.4% 37.8%
University of Hertfordshire 59.3% 4.3% 15.0% 0.9% 14.3% 8.2% 2.5% 1.1% 4.2% 4.3% 4.4% 3.3% 39.8%
Coventry University 58.0% 3.7% 13.7% 1.0% 14.5% 15.4% 2.9% 0.5% 1.2% 3.6% 1.4% 1.7% 40.4%
Roehampton University 57.6% 0.0% 21.2% 12.1% 6.1% 6.1% 0.0% 0.0% 6.1% 6.1% 0.0% 0.0% 42.4%
The University of Huddersfield 50.2% 1.6% 2.5% 0.9% 3.9% 33.1% 3.2% 0.7% 1.6% 1.8% 0.9% 2.0% 47.8%
University of London (Institutes and activities) 50.0% 10.0% 10.0% 0.0% 20.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10.0% 0.0% 40.0%
Queen Mary and Westfield College 49.2% 1.9% 9.0% 0.3% 11.8% 6.8% 4.0% 2.4% 3.7% 5.3% 4.0% 1.9% 38.5%
LSE 48.2% 1.5% 4.7% 0.0% 11.8% 5.3% 2.7% 8.6% 3.8% 6.8% 3.0% 0.8% 48.5%
Leeds Trinity and All Saints 47.1% 5.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 29.4% 5.9% 0.0% 0.0% 5.9% 0.0% 0.0% 52.9%
De Montfort University 45.9% 2.6% 5.8% 0.4% 24.4% 6.2% 1.2% 0.4% 1.7% 2.0% 1.2% 3.5% 52.7%
Top 25 Universities 63.2% 5.1% 12.6% 1.2% 14.0% 14.5% 4.1% 1.2% 3.1% 4.1% 3.3% 47.7% 32.9%
All Universities (UK) 27.4% 1.9% 5.0% 0.5% 6.0% 5.8% 1.6% 0.9% 1.4% 2.9% 1.4% 100.0% 68.6%
Source: HESA Student Record
The most popular areas of study for this cohort were ‘subjects allied to medicine’ (14%) followed by Business & Administrative Studies (11%) and Education (10%). The least popular subject was Veterinary Science (0.2%).
1
Source: HESA Student Record
6. Ethnic Minorities in Law
2.3 Russell Group Universities with the Highest Proportion of Ethnic Minority Students studying Law
Table 2 shows the percentage of Law students from each ethnic group at Russell Group universities. London School of Economics and Political Science
(LSE) had the highest proportion (48.2 percent) of students from ethnic minorities, followed by the University of Birmingham (32.3 percent) and University
College London (31.9 percent). Russell Group universities constitute 11.7 percent of the total ethnic minority students studying Law in UK universities.
Table 2: Russell Group Universities Ranked by Proportion of Students from Ethnic Minorities studying Law (2007–08)
Table 2: Russell Group Universities Ranked by Proportion of Students from Ethnic Minorities studying Law (2007–08)
Black African
Black or Black or Other Asian or Asian or Asian or Other % of Total
Bangladeshi
Other Asian
Black Other
% of total
All
Minorities
Caribbean
Pakistani
Students
BME Law
Black Black Black Asian Asian Asian Asian Mixed BAME Law
Top Universities
Chinese
Russell Universities Minorities Chinese Other Whites
Ethnic
Indian
Mixed
Other
White
Black
British British Backgro British British British Backgrou Ethnicity Students
All
Caribbean African und Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi nd
London School of Economics and
48.2% 1.5% 4.7% 0.0% 11.8% 5.3% 2.7% 8.6% 3.8% 6.8% 3.0% 0.8% 48.5%
Political Science
The University of Birmingham 32.3% 0.8% 2.8% 0.2% 13.0% 9.0% 0.8% 0.9% 0.9% 3.2% 0.6% 1.0% 61.4%
University College London 31.9% 0.9% 3.8% 0.4% 9.6% 2.6% 0.4% 3.2% 3.0% 3.8% 4.2% 0.9% 62.9%
King's College London 29.6% 1.3% 3.9% 0.2% 8.0% 3.5% 0.6% 2.4% 3.2% 5.1% 1.6% 1.7% 65.5%
The University of Warwick 22.1% 1.7% 4.0% 0.8% 5.7% 2.3% 0.6% 1.4% 2.1% 3.0% 0.5% 0.6% 74.0%
The University of Nottingham 20.4% 0.3% 2.9% 0.3% 5.1% 0.7% 0.3% 1.7% 1.4% 6.4% 1.2% 0.6% 77.2%
The University of Manchester 20.1% 0.8% 2.5% 0.0% 4.8% 4.0% 0.4% 1.9% 1.2% 3.1% 1.3% 0.9% 76.0%
The University of Oxford 17.5% 0.7% 1.3% 0.1% 4.6% 1.7% 0.1% 2.1% 1.2% 5.1% 0.6% 0.6% 77.7%
The University of Sheffield 17.1% 1.0% 2.2% 0.2% 3.2% 4.1% 0.4% 1.5% 1.2% 2.5% 0.8% 1.1% 81.1%
The University of Cambridge 16.6% 0.5% 1.9% 0.0% 3.6% 1.4% 0.2% 1.9% 1.9% 3.9% 1.5% 0.5% 75.4%
The University of Leeds 16.4% 0.6% 1.2% 0.3% 3.8% 4.6% 0.1% 0.6% 0.6% 3.6% 0.9% 0.6% 82.3%
The University of Southampton 14.3% 0.0% 2.6% 0.1% 2.5% 0.8% 0.6% 1.5% 2.1% 2.5% 1.5% 0.3% 84.6%
The University of Liverpool 13.5% 0.5% 1.2% 0.1% 2.3% 2.5% 1.3% 0.7% 0.8% 3.5% 0.6% 0.4% 85.5%
The University of Bristol 12.6% 0.3% 1.2% 0.0% 2.3% 0.6% 0.5% 1.1% 1.7% 4.1% 0.8% 0.4% 77.1%
The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 9.1% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 2.4% 1.1% 0.2% 1.1% 0.7% 2.8% 0.5% 0.2% 89.0%
Cardiff University 8.6% 0.6% 1.3% 0.0% 2.3% 0.7% 0.3% 0.8% 0.2% 2.0% 0.5% 0.5% 89.5%
The University of Edinburgh 5.5% 0.0% 0.5% 0.0% 0.9% 0.6% 0.3% 0.9% 0.3% 1.5% 0.4% 0.3% 91.5%
The University of Glasgow 5.2% 0.0% 0.2% 0.0% 1.3% 1.1% 0.0% 0.7% 0.5% 1.2% 0.1% 0.2% 94.7%
The Queen's University of Belfast 1.1% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.4% 0.4% 0.1% 94.8%
Imperial College of Sc., Tech. and Med. - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Russell Universities 16.4% 0.6% 1.9% 0.1% 4.1% 2.4% 0.4% 1.5% 1.3% 3.1% 1.0% 11.7% 80.1%
All Universities (UK) 27.4% 1.9% 5.0% 0.5% 6.0% 5.8% 1.6% 0.9% 1.4% 2.9% 1.4% 100.0% 68.6%
Source: HESA Student Record
Source: HESA Student Record No data on law as a subject was available for Imperial College of Sc., Tech. and Medicine No data on law as a subject was available for Imperial College of Sc., Tech. and Medicine
7. Ethnic Minorities
in Law
Russell Group Universities
What’s Class got to do with it 82%
Barristers
An analysis of the educational background of top legal professionals by
the Sutton Trust found that, in 2004, 82% of UK-educated barristers,
81% of judges and 53% of the partners in ‘magic circle’ law firms had 81%
attended Oxford or Cambridge. Two-thirds of barristers and three- Judges
quarters of judges also went to fee-paying schools, and there has been
little change in this since the late 1980s!
53%
Source: The Educational Backgrounds of the UK’s Top Solicitors, Barristers and Judges, Sutton Trust briefing note, June 2005 Partners
FAST FACTS
More ethnic minority differences in private practice
In 2008, BME solicitors, on average, had less l Over one-quarter of BME solicitors (29%)
post qualification experience: the mean for worked in firms which were owned by
White solicitors was 13.26 compared to 7.88 a majority of BME partners/owners but
for BME solicitors. this was the case for just 0.2% of White
solicitors.
l BME solicitors tended to be younger
with an average age of 36.7 compared l Over one-quarter of BME solicitors worked
to an average of 40.5 for the White with legally aided clients in the preceding
group. (Both the PQE and age differences 12 months compared to 16% of White
confirm lower levels of BME participation solicitors; and of those working with legal
in the market historically.) aid clients, BME solicitors were much more
likely to spend over 50% of their time
l Tenure in their current job was also lower, on legal aid than White solicitors – 80%
on average, for BME solicitors than for of BME legal aid solicitors spent more
White solicitors (4.51 years compared than 50% of their time on legal aid
with 7.28). compared to 44% of ethnic legal aid
solicitors (but this calculation is based
l BME solicitors were much more likely on an unweighted base of just 39
to work in smaller firms with 2-5 solicitors BME solicitors).
and less likely than White solicitors to
work in larger firms with 41 to 170 l BME solicitors were less likely to undertake
solicitors. work in business and commercial affairs
cases and more likely to work in the
l BME solicitors were more than twice areas of crime, family and personal and
as likely to work in majority-female- financial management.
owned firms.
Source: The Law Society - Ethnicity and earnings in private practice; Findings
from the 2008 salary survey June 2009
07 I Race for Opportunity (RfO) | Ethnic Minorities in Law
8. Ethnic Minorities
in Law
Key facts on the solicitors’ profession
Ethnic minority participation
Solicitors of ethnic minority origin have entered the
profession in larger numbers in recent years. At 31 July 2008,
there were 14,892 ethnic minority solicitors on the Roll, of
whom 11,249 (75.5%) held current practising certificates.
No. % of all solicitors
Solicitors from ethnic minority groups
on the Roll as at 31 July 2008 14,892 10.7%
No. % of all solicitors
Solicitors from ethnic minority
ethnic groups with pcs as at 31 July 2008 11,249 10.0%
In other words, excluding those for whom the ethnicity is
unknown, solicitors from ethnic minority groups accounted
for 10.7 percent of all solicitors on the Roll, 10.0 percent of all
solicitors with practising certificates, and 9.5 percent of
all solicitors in private practice.
Trends in the last ten years -
The solicitors’ profession
Ten years ago the percentage of practising certificate holders
drawn from ethnic minority groups was 4.9%, - it is now 10%.
Source: The Law Society 2008 – Fact sheet series Key Facts on the solicitors’ profession.
08 I Race for Opportunity (RfO) | Ethnic Minorities in Law
