Ashurst signs Race Fairness Commitment to combat career obstacles

Measures included in the RFC include close analysis of quantitative data and monitoring of employee lifecycles from recruitment to senior promotion, in order to identify and address the points at which BAME staff are leaving their firms. Firms have also committed to decisive steps to ensure that race and racism are better recognised and talked about internally.

The initiative, launched by Rare Recruitment, the diversity recruitment specialist, has also drawn the support of 15 other law firms. Rare is making the RFC’s methodology available on a free, open-access basis to any employers who want to identify and tackle their organisation's points of adverse impact on race. Detailed guidance and modelling can be found at www.racefairnesscommitment.com.

Commenting, Ben Tidswell, Chairman of Ashurst, said:

"The Race Fairness Commitment is a significant and important initiative. We all need to be held to account both externally and internally in driving change. Although some progress has been made, it is not enough and the RFC is a key step in addressing that and ensuring action is taken."

Aneesa Khan, Associate and Co-chair of Ashurst's BAME Working Group, commented:

"Signing up to the RFC demonstrates Ashurst's ongoing commitment to championing change in respect of racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession. This is a key step in reinforcing the work undertaken by the Ashurst BAME Working Group and building on this so that we can continue to drive change."

Raph Mokades, Founder and Managing Director of Rare, added:

“What seems possible in terms of racial justice has shifted this year, and the Race Fairness Commitment is about real change. It’s a brave step for the law firms to take, as well as a necessary one. It goes beyond merely not discriminating, and it goes beyond the usual diversity and inclusion activities you see at many organisations. For law firms, it’s about recognising a problem and hunting it down, and I’m impressed that so many have taken this major step.”