Diversity and Inclusion in the Canadian Legal Market

Just when the D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) discussion is becoming a hot topic here in Canada (and also in the U.S.), Chambers has decided to make some changes in their approach. They feel that despite the fact that the percentage of female ranked lawyers gradually increased in the last five years, the amount wasn’t enough to accurately represent top talent in the profession. With their proposed changes, they expect to further identify existing high performing female lawyers from now on.

The results are promising, but it is still too soon to have results that reflect the diversity of the profession. The 2021 ranking has seen an overall 6% increase of ranked female lawyers across all practice areas. In some of them, women even have more than 50% of presence, e.g. Healthcare (54%) and Advertising (50%).

In summary, there is still a long way to go, but awareness has already been awakened. An increasing number of companies and law firms across the country had demonstrated a commitment to helping drive change, and opening up to a more diverse range of lawyers in their ranks.