Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing

Landmark is committed to the furtherance of equality and diversity at the Bar. A copy of our Equality and Diversity Policy can be obtained here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We take pride that Landmark is at the cutting edge of diversity, equality and welfare issues at the Bar. However, we can do better, and we are committed to doing better. It is vital that we do. Our profession is not yet fully representative of wider society. There are many substantial and long-standing barriers that prevent people from disadvantaged groups from starting a career at the Bar and growing a practice if they do manage to “make it”. These problems are systemic and cannot be addressed without active intervention.

Landmark benefits from a dedicated and active Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing Committee (“EDWC”), made up of barristers and staff of different backgrounds and seniority, which regularly discusses and takes action to address these issues. The EDWC has a wide remit to review recruitment, staff and barristers’ terms and conditions, career progression and retention. The Committee also monitors, evaluates and makes recommendations for the effective development and implementation of Landmark’s Equality and Diversity Action Plan and Policy.  The Chair of the EDWC has a seat on our Chambers’ Management Committee (“CMC”) and reports regularly to our Heads of Chambers and Chief Executive on equality and diversity issues.

Improving diversity amongst both members and staff at Landmark is a top priority and forms part of a co-ordinated strategy across all Chambers’ Committees.  We have implemented and developed several initiatives and are in the planning stages for several new ones.  Our overall approach is to increase diversity from the point of entry to the Bar (work experience, pupillage and tenancy) through to the support and retention of existing members from minority ethnic backgrounds. Some of the initiatives and measures the EDWC has carried out to further equality and diversity in Chambers and the wider profession may be found below:

• The EDWC scrutinises each months’ work allocation figures, by gender, race and disability and expects every practice team to provide a written report explaining any disparity in the figures. This ensures that the pressing requirement to allocate work fairly and without bias is at the forefront of our Practice Managers’ minds.
• Landmark recognises that whilst our policies and ethos are explicit in not tolerating discrimination of any sort, there may be hidden barriers to certain groups of staff and barristers that prevent them from fully engaging with Chambers or progressing their careers and practice.  We offer regular Unconscious Bias and Race Awareness training to all barristers and believe this training will prove valuable in helping to build a culture of inclusion in Chambers. In addition, all new staff undertake training in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
• On an annual basis, Landmark hosts an intern as part of the Bar’s active participation in the #10,000BlackInterns scheme. This provides paid internships for black students and graduates across the UK.
• We have signed the Women in Law Pledge and centred three targets around the recruitment, retention and career progression of women at Landmark. 
• We work with the Bridging the Bar charity to offer students from BAME backgrounds mini-pupillages.
• Landmark is part of a mentoring scheme for underrepresented groups at the planning, public law and property Bar.
• The EDWC has been particularly active in monitoring earnings and progression rates amongst barristers.  The sub-committee ‘Retention of Women Working Party’ was created to actively encourage the recruitment and career progression of female barristers.  This provided not only a support network but has been active in identifying systemic changes to policies and training to avoid disadvantaging women.
• We offer travel and lunch expenses to all our mini-pupils.

If you have an equality and diversity initiative you think Landmark would be interested in supporting, please contact our HR and Administration Manager, Natasha White-Foy.

Chambers’ Diversity Data

The Bar Standards Board Code of Conduct states that a summary of the Diversity Data submitted by Landmark’s members, pupil barristers and employees must be published on our website once every three years. As well as being submitted as required, this data is presented to the EDWC and CMC, as a measure of success of initiatives and programmes implemented to improve diversity at all stages of recruitment and retention.

Landmark’s Diversity Data was last updated in June 2022 and a summary of the data can be accessed here.

Recruitment

Landmark Chambers is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to diversity amongst its members, pupil barristers and staff. We encourage and welcome applications from women, people of minority ethnic origin and people with disabilities, as well as candidates from other groups which are underrepresented in the legal sector.

Landmark uses contextual recruitment practices, to help level the playing field for mini-pupillage and pupillage applications. We have also engaged with the charities 10,000 Black Interns and Bridging the Bar, which specifically support students from Black and other ethnic minority backgrounds in accessing mini-pupillages.  We are hoping this will significantly improve the percentage of applications from those groups and have a knock-on effect for retention and career progression for underrepresented groups.

Disability and Accessibility

Our facilities are compliant with Equality and Disability legislation. If you are visiting Chambers and have any specific requirements as to reasonable adjustments, please contact our HR and Administration Manager, Natasha White-Foy, for assistance.

Wellbeing

Landmark has long been recognised as a leader in wellbeing at the Bar. In November 2017 we were awarded with a Certificate of Recognition from the Bar Council for our efforts to promote wellbeing across the Bar and act as a beacon of good practice. Since then, we have continued to build on our success in this area.

We have a mentoring scheme in Chambers for junior practitioners, access to free private mental health services for all barristers and staff, and regular training sessions to discuss workplace pressures and stress. We also invite a masseur into Chambers every month for all barristers and staff.

In October 2023, we were awarded the new Wellbeing Certificate in recognition for outstanding work to improve wellbeing at the Bar.