Response to ‘Unleashing Aspiration’, the report of the Cabinet Office Panel on Fair Access to the Professions

21 July 2009

Legal Services Board Chief Executive Chris Kenny said of the findings released today:

"The Legal Services Board welcomes the findings of this report. The legal profession has a positive story to tell about how it has opened itself up to attract record numbers of women and ethnic minorities. We need to go further to make sure that those from less well-off backgrounds are able to take up the same opportunities. The report will also help us focus on retention and career progression so that the diversity of our society is reflected across the highest echelons of the legal profession.

We welcome the recommendation to statutory bodies to embed diversity as one of their top priorities and we hope that legal regulators will take up that challenge. One of the key regulatory objectives underpinning the creation of the new Legal Services Board is to encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession so we place access to the profession at the very top of our agenda. We will intensify work with our partners the Approved Regulators, as well as those in Government, to deliver the step-change in access that is needed”.

For more information or to speak to LSB spokespeople on the findings, please contact Craig Jones on 07766 207395.