Diversity & inclusion at Shoosmiths

At Shoosmiths, we rely on our team to perform at their best and deliver results for our clients. We realise that we can’t achieve this without a clear commitment to diversity, inclusion and well being.

Our mission

Our approach to our people and our clients is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

It is also imperative that our team are equipped with the tools and mindset required to perform at their best; this includes maintaining a positive culture, understanding the impact that work has on home life and vice versa, and promoting physical and mental health.

Our approach

We believe there is no one way to implement ‘best practice’ across diversity, inclusion, and well being, but communication, consistency, and collaboration are very much the Shoosmiths way of achieving results. In practice this means that we consult with our colleagues on initiatives, e.g. through working groups, networks, and employee surveys, seek to maintain a consistent employee experience across Shoosmiths’ offices, and work closely with clients to ensure we meet their needs and where there are mutual interests, strive towards our goals together.

We actively support initiatives that attract and support people into the legal profession who may not traditionally have had access. We work with external organisations to ensure we are reaching the widest audience possible. We pride ourselves on not being overly hierarchical and pretentious; we want Shoosmiths to be a place where you can be yourself and do your best work.

We’re proud of...

We are incredibly proud of some of the accolades and accreditations we’ve achieved to date, but also recognise that there’s so much more that we can continue to work towards.

Recent highlights include:

• A founding signatory of the Law Society's diversity and inclusion charter

• 30%+ female partnership nationally, and aiming for higher

• Signatories of the Social mobility pledge and the Race at work charter

• Gold status in the Law Society’s diversity and inclusion charter

• A range of inclusion networks (Balance, Proud, and Embrace). These networks are an opportunity for colleagues to connect, further their professional development, progress diversity and inclusion ambitions, and create community in the firm.

As a national law firm, with a presence in 13 UK locations and a diverse portfolio of clients, we recognise the crucial role we can play in delivering a positive contribution to society and the economy by boosting social mobility across the UK.

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