The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) latest diversity survey shows that only 8% of partners at the largest firms in England and Wales are Black, Asian or from another ethnic minority, compared to 23% at small firms and 35% of single-partner outfits. While both the largest and smallest firms recorded an increase in BAME partners compared to 2019, the rise was much greater for the latter — meaning that the diversity gap increased. The SRA defines “largest firms” as having 50+ partners and found that just 4% are Asian and 1% Black.

Megafirms also look a bit suspect on other measures of diversity. Over half the solicitors at outfits with 50+ partners are female, but less than one third of partners. The SRA also says that the largest law firms have “a smaller proportion of disabled lawyers” and “the greatest proportion of lawyers from a professional socio-economic background, and those who went to independent/fee-paying schools”.

The regulator collected over 180,000 survey responses from almost 9,000 firms in England and Wales. Its findings follow hard on the heels of an equivalent report for barristers showing that diversity at the bar continues to creep up slowly.