It doesn't have to be black and white!

Something I saw online today sparked some sense of fury within me, mostly because it reinforced the social divisions within society and the hierarchy of social status which most people believe ultimately determines our success as individuals.

What I saw was an article shared by a certain law firm regarding private schools and how statistics show Private Schools are no longer the golden ticket into law school. I sat there for a second, read the title of the article over and over again and thought ‘WOW, REALLY, YOU HAVE ONLY COME TO REALISE THIS NOW?!?!’

Let me put this into some sort of context… I went to a state school, from the day I could attend nursery until the day I completed my GCSE’s, I attended non-selective state schools. I also attended a state college which at the time did not even conduct interviews (not that I remember anyway). Now I attend a law school at a Russell Group University which is ranked at 41 in the WORLD. Now in my opinion, that is quite good for a girl that comes from a town no one has ever heard of.

I have always been passionate about diversity because I know how harsh society is on those of us that are cast aside because of the colour of our skin, our accents or other features placing us in a ‘minority’ group. At university, I am currently Student Ambassador for an organisation called Aspiring Solicitors who aim to provide access, opportunities and assistance to underrepresented groups in the legal profession. This is a cause I am 100% dedicated to. I have grown up in a time when mainstream society made me believe you had to be white and rich to achieve but fortunately, my parents and school teachers made me believe that no matter what your background, you can achieve your dreams as long as you try.

I have grown to see the incredible diversity amongst achievers in the world. You do not need money to achieve, you do not need to go to university to make a great living for yourself (we all know the story of Lord Sugar and how he made himself into a businessman). Of course, when we talk about law school, there are particular limitations given the nature of the job however, in no way should anyone ever think that their background is a hindrance to them fulfilling their dreams of a legal career. There is no doubt about the fact that the legal profession is dominated by middle class white people but nevertheless, there has been a huge push for diversification of the legal profession and the situation is getting a lot better. The clichéd view of a posh talking person providing you legal advice is also quite close to reality and I have heard of occasions where individuals were told they are stellar candidates for a job but will only be employed if they take elocution classes. HOW DO WE STILL LIVE IN THIS TYPE OF A WORLD?!

In my opinion, it is not just about creating diversity in terms of the skin colour of the work force, but the social backgrounds, the personalities. Everyone experiences so many different things in their life and that shapes them into the person they are. This undoubtedly translates into their ability to communicate their ideas and opinions.

There are countless times when I have met individuals with an incredible academic history, from a wealthy background, with no ability to communicate with people from a different background to them. When you fill out applications for vacation schemes/jobs people shout about transferrable skills and one of the most important is the ability to communicate with a variety of people and be yourself when doing so. Employers tell us they ‘don’t want robots’ but of course they have a checklist of things they want to see in everyone, oh and they also try to maintain diversity; it is difficult to understand.

Without diversity in a law firm, it becomes impossible to understand things from your client’s point of view, particularly if you are a large commercial law firm dealing with a wide range of businesses. You might be able to deal with banks but you also need to be able to talk to the inventors at Apple Inc. and appreciate their creativity on a personal level.

Diversity facilitates variety. Without variety, life becomes a sheet of lined paper with no room for variety. We all start life with a plain sheet of paper and all the colouring pens in the world. Use them wisely to create a masterpiece and never let anyone tell you to stay within the lines. If you don’t explore the world, how will you show the world what you are?

Never let the fear of failure stop you in your tracks. We all experience failure but to get back up again after you have failed means you are one step closer to winning. Money and society do not dictate your happiness so don’t allow them to draw out your path. Draw it yourself and show the world your roar is different to your best friends roar.  

All love xoxo