AVOIDING DISCRIMINATION AND ACHIEVING DIVERSITY

Partner & Management Session

A high level partnership and senior management course, examining the risks to the practice from discrimination law and the associated professional rules, also the key management actions needed to achieve diversity. This session is not recommended for general staff participation since it also covers employment issues.

Sample morning and afternoon timings are shown

9:30 2:00 Introduction

  • Rule 6 of the Code of Conduct - how to ensure compliance - the risks of getting it wrong
  • The main areas of discrimination provisions and their application to law firms
  • Questionnaire Exercise: 20 problem cases: what's the right approach?
  • Feedback and discussion

11:00 3:30 Coffee/Tea

11:15 3:45 Key partnership issues for achieving diversity and compliance

  • Recruitment and selection
  • Partnership structures and promotions
  • Instructing counsel and other experts
  • Service delivery issues: language to use and avoid

12:30 5:15 Conclusions and future actions

12:45 5:30 Close

This course counts for 3 hours of CPD


Staff Session

This session is recommended for mixed groups of fee earners and/or support staff. Timings are optional - 90 minutes is recommended, enabling two or three sessions to be conducted during the same day to ensure cover in all departments.

Objectives

To explain the applicability and operation of Rule 6 (Code of Conduct) in relation to partners and staff, third parties and clients

To consider how to communicate with and address people of different backgrounds to provide a good level of service

Contents

  • Introduction
  • Rule 6: the need for policy that is applied throughout the practice
  • Some client service issues - do they breach Rule 6?
  • Avoiding discriminatory language and attitudes - some rules to avoid giving offence
  • Making equality a reality

This course can count for CPD under the SRA scheme

 For further information, please contact the course presenters, Matthew Moore or Simon Bray.