Sold-out wrap-up party celebrates campaign on diversity in Scottish legal profession

After a welcome from DWF’s Stephen Miles (CEO for commercial services), the evening was compered by Drew McCusker and Chris Rennie (co-chairs, The Glass Network) who explained the origins of Glass and its social media campaign.

#TheseAreOurPrinciples was viewed online more than 9,000 times and over its various platforms reached approximately 39,000 viewers. With approximately 10,000 solicitors registered with the Law Society, the campaign - which featured influential legal figureheads such as Professor Hector MacQueen, Sheenagh Adams, the Keeper of the Register of Scotland, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - managed to create online impressions outside the Scottish legal sector.

The campaign was conducted in collaboration with the Law Society, represented on the evening by their chief executive, Lorna Jack, who spoke to the importance and development of diversity within the profession.

As the keynote speaker, Lady Dorrian spoke on the importance of visibility in the profession, particularly with LGBT+ professionals. As only two-thirds of people feel comfortable being open about their sexual orientation, Lady Dorrian discussed the importance of senior legal professionals actively promoting diversity regardless of their identity, not just for a person’s happiness, but for health of business and our jurisdiction.

Recognising her role in promoting diversity, Lady Dorrian praised The Glass Network for its efforts in #TheseAreOurPrinciples, recognising the roles that organisations like Glass, Women In Law Scotland and Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association have in the profession in leading the way for future generations.

The evening concluded with a reel of participants’ videos from the campaign and discussions on how intersectional equality (in particularly social mobility) will develop in the profession in the years to come.