Lawyers tackle racism in ranks
• Larger l aw firms would be expected to work toward racial diversification and have to report on their progress under recommendations approved without opposition Friday by the profession’s regulatory body in Ontario following hours of emotional debate.
In addition, the Law Society of Upper Canada will look to put measures in place to ensure legal workplaces do more to combat systemic racism and discrimination in their ranks, its governing body decided.
The recommendations — 13 in all — flowed from a working group that looked at the career obstacles black and other visible minority lawyers face. The group, set up in 2012, spent the past few years coming up with its report based on consultations and submissions from around the province.
Raj Anand, co- chairman of the group, who said he has been the subject of racial slurs, called it gratifying the law society approved the report.
“There is a serious problem that needs to be addressed,” Anand said.
“We now can move forward to implement these important recommendations, which reinforce the special responsibility of l awyers and paralegals to promote human rights in their own workplaces — and in their relationships with the justice system and the public.”
Under measures t hat are now slated to be put in place, any firm with at least 10 lawyers and paralegals would have to designate someone responsible for implementing a policy that addresses issues such as fair recruitment, retention and advancement.
Companies would also have to do a diversity selfassessment, and send the information to the law society every two years.
The governing body would keep tabs on the progress law firms with at least 25 lawyers and paralegals are making in promoting diversity by looking at a “demographic data and inclusion index.”
Although the proportion of visible- minority lawyers has increased during the past 15 years, many of them have long complained of the professional barriers they encounter, and relatively few black lawyers practise in large firms.
The law society, which governs more than 50,000 lawyers and 8,000 paralegals in Ontario, would also set up a specialized and trained team to address complaints of discrimination.