Browne Jacobson is growing in influence as an advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) through its workforce, recruitment policies, and event sponsorship.

The UK law firm’s National Head of Education, Mark Blois, has been named in the ‘Disability Power 100’ for 2021, which is an annual publication recognising the successes of 100 individuals, disabled or living with an impairment, who are role models for others to achieve their full potential.

Role models seeking impact

Blois is an advocate for equal opportunities for those interested in a law career through his role as a committee member of the Law Society’s Lawyers with Disabilities Division.

He is also a Trustee of the National Association of Special Educational Needs, where he supports the development of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in educational settings. Speaking on the news, Blois said: “It is an honour to be named alongside such an incredible list of individuals who are encouraging and inspiring the young and talented leaders of tomorrow and allowing them to see that aspiration and ambition can be fulfilled regardless of disability or impairment.

“My journey, like so many others, hasn’t been without its challenges, but I have been fortunate to work for a firm such as Browne Jacobson, who are genuinely committed to diversity and inclusion. I am grateful for the support I have received during my career from allies who have wanted me to succeed.”

Aside from cultivating an inclusive workforce that wants to effect change, Browne Jacobson lends its influence to support diversity and inclusion beyond the firm itself.

This can be seen via its support of this year’s Black Young Professionals (BYP) Network Leadership Conference, where the firm is a sponsored partner.

Inclusive event sponsorship and recruitment processes

The virtual two-day event aims to empower young Black professionals to become future leaders within their organisations and provide a platform for networking and career connections.

At the event, the firm had a virtual recruitment stall, allowing delegates to network with members of the firm’s recruitment team.

Browne Jacobson’s support of the event for Black professionals follows a plethora of other diversity and inclusion commitments, including its FAIRE (Fairer Access into Real Experience) programme. This was launched earlier this year to provide work experience opportunities to candidates from underrepresented socioeconomic backgrounds.

Since 2016, the firm has implemented other changes to boost inclusion, including improving its fair recruitment of talent by removing academic barriers and anonymising applications in its trainee recruitment process.

BYP Network Founder Kike Oniwinde commented: “We are super excited to welcome Browne Jacobson to the BYP Network Leadership Conference. This is our third year running it, and it’s set to be as big and impactful as ever. This year’s theme is #CollaborationIsKey as part of our’ Decade of Proactive Change’, and it is our way of helping future leaders connect and learn to supercharge their careers.

“Representation from the law industry is super important as we want our members to discover opportunities from training contracts to product and business development roles at Browne Jacobson.”

Browne Jacobson partner, Bridget Tatham, who is an Executive Sponsor for Race and an active member of the firm’s internal Race Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage community (REACH), added: “We are incredibly proud to support BYP, its allies and its community partners on this fantastic event which strives to elevate black professionals and promotes equity and equality in the workplace. These themes really resonate with us as a firm.

“We are passionate about enabling our people to be authentic by striving to create an inclusive, diverse, and vibrant workspace where everyone is celebrated for their differences. In doing so, we aim to ensure that everyone has fair and equitable access opportunities ahead.”