Research Team presentation to the LETR Consultation Steering Panel, November 2011

1. Legal Education and
Training Review
Equality, Diversity and
Social Mobility
CSP Meeting, November 2011

2. In the grand scheme...
• Literature review
– Discussion Paper
02/2011
– Further Discussion Paper
(03/2011)
– Finally, s.7 of Lit. Review
• Further research
• Impact analysis

3. Additional work to do (Dec.)
• Recruitment and progression from LPC/BPTC
• CPD – cost and proportionality
• Other regulated professions
• Unregulated legal services sector

4. Next steps
• 02/2011: opportunity to comment up until
end of November
• Revised and extended draft paper to be
published on the project intranet (by 8
January). Opportunity to comment until end
of January
• Findings and comments will feed into
Consultation Paper 1
(March 2012)

5. Discussion Paper 02/2011
• Performance of LET
– Gender equality
– Diversity
– Social mobility

6. Social (im)mobility
• UK data consistently
shows one of the widest
gaps in social mobility
among Western nations
• Strong causal link
between educational
attainment and mobility
• Intractability and blame
culture?

7. Key barriers
• GCSE/A levels
• Lack of (access to)
information about
careers
• Admissions system
• University attended
• Work experience
• Cost of training/debt
• LPC/BPTC provider?

8. Solutions (but….)
• Better (access to) information at earlier stages
• Well-targeted diversity initiatives
• Use of contextual data in admissions (u/g and
GDL, LPC/BPTC)
• More equitable access to work experience at
school and university
• Needs-based scholarships for LPC/BPTC
• Publication of diversity data for individual
LLBs, GDLs, LPCs, BPTCs

9. Problems
• Information/research gaps and inconsistencies
• Lack of collaboration/joined-up thinking
• Complexity – unintended consequences
• Uncertainty generated by speed and extent of
systemic changes to HE
• Scope for REGULATORY
solutions?

10. Questions for today
1. To what extent is contextual information being used
for admissions to LLB/GDL/LPC/BPTC? Are there
significant barriers to/problems with using (more)
contextual information? [Experience from outside
law?]
2. Should collection of diversity data be mandated from
academic and professional law courses as a condition
of approval/validation?
3. How might access to work experience be made more
equitable? Are entities assessing the diversity impact
of their work experience/recruitment schemes?