National Inclusion Week 2024: Chief Master Shuman on how Lincoln’s Inn is driving change for a more inclusive future

By Karen Shuman, Chief Chancery Master and Chair of Lincoln’s Inn Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

Since 2013 National Inclusion Week (NIW) has been an annual event dedicated to celebrating inclusion.

This year the focus is on ‘Impact Matters’, building on the themes from 2022 and 2023. With the world changing in so many ways, and so quickly, it can sometimes feel like any change or progress we try to implement is just not enough, the problems so big that they are insurmountable. So it is a particularly apt theme.

As the organisation who founded NIW, Inclusive Employers, states: “‘Impact Matters’ has a powerful message that centres around understanding, identifying and measuring impact on marginalised groups and taking actions that make for genuine, sustainable change that matters.”

This is something that Lincoln’s Inn is keenly aware of. We already understand that diversity and inclusion is fundamental within the Bar. It enables wider perspectives to be integrated within the profession and future-proofing our workplaces. To successfully support this, the Inn itself must continue to change and to do so at a faster pace. We must be part of an inclusive society where we call out casual micro aggressions and discrimination, to no longer tolerate or standby.

How we feel the Inn is best placed to support this is laid out in our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement. What we do not want is a ‘box-ticking’ approach when it comes to taking action to help create a diverse and inclusive environment for our members and employees. True inclusion is ongoing and about consistent learning. That is why we have an array of different approaches and formats when it comes to our EDI programme.

For example, on Monday 21 October I will be taking part in a panel event, ‘The Balancing Act: Returning to work with caring responsibilities’. It will focus on practical advice and guidance for those returning to work who might feel that the barrier to return too difficult, or unsupported when they do return. I had first-hand experience of being treated differently when I had children. I remain adamant that if we do not solve retention and progression the Bar will not be fit for purpose, it will not reflect the society in which we live. Tickets can be booked via the website and are still available so please share widely. Lincoln’s has carefully curated a panel from different disciplines who can provide a wide range of perspectives and advice. The event is free, in-person and online, and will also be recorded so that as many people as possible will have the opportunity to see it.

In addition to our career-focused EDI initiatives, we also offer a range of social events that celebrate the diversity of our members and promote Lincoln’s Inn as a welcoming, inclusive community for all. Some upcoming highlights include our LGBTQ+ Members’ Social, Black History Month Diversity Dinner and our EDI Forum Keynote Lecture with Síofra O’Leary which offer meaningful opportunities to connect and celebrate together.

The Inn is introducing a mentorship scheme for called members early next year. The transfer of knowledge and experience between mentor and mentee is critical for enabling diversity and inclusion and for supporting a mindset that will enable an inclusive pipeline for future talent. The hope is that this initiative will break down silos within the profession by connecting a diverse cohort of mentors with mentees, allowing them to share their experiences and perspectives across the profession for greater understanding and empathy.

These are just a few upcoming initiatives that support the Inn’s core objectives laid out in the EDI action plan for 2024-2026. This is a living plan and will be reviewed regularly by the EDI Committee. However, we need our members help, support and guidance to inform the progress and success of our action. Please let us know how you feel the Inn is doing and what more could be done to drive inclusion at the Inn – email us at [email protected].

We must remember, that each one of us holds the potential to make a profound and positive impact.