SRA figures show increased representation of women and minority lawyers over the past decade, but disparities remain at senior levels
Law firm diversity has improved over the past decade, but further progress is needed to address gaps in senior representation and social mobility, according to new data released by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
The regulator has published diversity figures spanning ten years, offering a detailed picture of how representation across law firms in England and Wales has changed since 2015. The data covers characteristics including gender, ethnicity, disability and socio-economic background.
Commenting on the findings, Sarah Rapson, chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, said the figures demonstrate both progress and continuing challenges within the profession.
“Encouraging diversity and inclusion within the legal sector is positive for consumers and for law firms alike,” she said. “Consumers benefit from working with legal professionals that reflect their wider community, and firms thrive with talented professionals from different backgrounds in their firms.”
The regulator has collected diversity data from law firms every two years since 2015 to monitor changes in representation across the profession. The latest figures show that women now make up 55% of lawyers, compared with 48% a decade ago.
Despite this increase, the data highlights an ongoing gap at senior levels. Women accounted for 40% of partners in 2025, up from 32% in 2015. Representation is lower still among full-equity partners and within the largest law firms.
The regulator’s analysis also shows growth in ethnic diversity across the profession. The proportion of lawyers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds increased from 14% in 2015 to 20% in 2025. This figure is slightly higher than the 18% recorded across the wider UK workforce.
However, representation within senior positions remains uneven. Overall, 19% of partners come from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, with significantly lower proportions recorded in larger firms.
The data also highlights differences in disability representation. Lawyers identifying as disabled increased from 3% in 2015 to 8% in 2025. By comparison, national employment data suggests 17% of the wider workforce report having a disability.
Socio-economic background also remains a factor within the profession. According to the regulator, 24% of lawyers attended an independent or fee-paying school, compared with around 6% of the general public.
Rapson said the long-term trends underline the importance of continued efforts to widen access and improve progression within the legal sector.
“Whether we look at trends over the past 10 years or the most recent data, it is clear that while progress has been made, more can be done,” she said.
She highlighted the need to address barriers affecting the progression of women and minority ethnic solicitors in larger firms, the under-representation of disabled solicitors and the challenges faced by individuals from less privileged backgrounds seeking to advance within the profession.
The regulator said the data forms part of its ongoing work to monitor diversity trends and encourage greater inclusion across the legal profession.