Inclusive Recruitment in the Law
DWL is taking a deep dive into the recruitment processes of law firms and organisations within the legal sector to identify gaps, brainstorm strategies and raise awareness of the lived experiences of Diverse Women applicants. We do this by consulting our members and stakeholders, publishing best practice guides based on feedback received from members and facilitating constructive dialogue in a confidential and safe setting.
Participation in DWL’s annual roundtable event (and access to recruitment guides prepared by DWL) is limited to our corporate sponsor firms. The corporate sponsorship program is by invite only and organisations are invited in January in each to participate in sponsorship.
Annual Recruitment Roundtable
DWL hosts an annual commercial recruitment roundtable event to provide targeted and valuable feedback to the legal industry about the specific challenges faced by Diverse Women when applying for legal roles. In 2023, the Roundtable was hosted by Thomson Geer and focused on the experiences of Diverse applicants at the interview stage, and was informed by the results of our 2023 commercial recruitment survey. Key takeaways include:
Interviewers should demonstrate genuine curiosity about an applicant’s lived experiences, rather than preferring a formulaic style of interview.
Firms reported that adopting a discursive interview style more successfully elicited responses from candidates that demonstrated the skillset necessary to succeed as a commercial lawyer.
Including diverse representatives of the firm during the recruitment process greatly informed the decision behind which firms to apply for, and which offers to accept.
Firms should consider providing specific support and training to interviewers to enable them to create an interview space which is inclusive and encourages candidates to discuss their lived experiences.
“I had two rounds of interviews that were conducted by partners who were women. To have not one but two female partners interview me during the interviewing process was a key indicator that women could be successful in this firm. It also showed me that I would have female role models at this firm, and that I could learn from their career journeys.”
— 2023 Survey Respondent
2023 Recruitment Survey Results
DWL conducted its 2023 Commercial Recruitment Survey (Survey) to understand the experience of clerkship applicants who identify as Diverse Women. The survey was open for a period of 3 weeks and saw responses from 39 applicants.
The Survey disclosed a range of findings and industry trends that will lead the conversation in the commercial legal sector and develop opportunities to drive critical changes to ensure inclusion and diversity are prioritised.
These numbers reflect that while opportunities do exist for diverse applicants, it is critical to ensure they are supported when preparing to enter the commercial legal sector.
The Survey conducted by DWL was responsible in driving critical conversations about authentic inclusion and diversity at the DWL Recruitment Roundtable in conjunction with the key experiences shared by the student volunteers.
What our members have to say
“Many firms would make grand statements about their diversity initiatives, but I would only be interviewed or in contact with straight white old men... I felt that firms that didn't advertise their diversity initiatives as much, but obviously had lawyers/partners from many different backgrounds clearly seemed to value diversity more than other firms.”
— 2023 Survey Respondent
“My experience with my buddy telling me to highlight my queerness in my interview influenced me to turn down that offer, along with the seeming standardisation of the interview. I accepted an offer at a firm where there were a number of queer representatives throughout the hiring process..”
— 2023 Survey Respondent
“I am the first in my family to attend university, let alone law school and come from significant economic disadvantage. Going to uni in the city has made me realise how much of a private school club law is, and as a disabled queer woman from a tiny rural town, I wanted to apply to firms that actively encouraged unique perspectives.”
— 2023 Survey Respondent
Participating Firms
Interested?
Participation in DWL’s inclusive recruitment initiative is available only to DWL sponsors. Sponsorship is advertised at the start of each year. Please contact DWL to register your interest in becoming a sponsor.