An in-depth study by the Law Society’s strategic research unit has revealed a picture of a profession in which there is a high level of disparity between the sexes; a tendency to remain in the same job; and a high value placed on flexible working.

The research, based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,200 practitioners and completed last spring, revealed that 15% regarded themselves as generalists, while 80% defined themselves as specialists and just 5% said they were at managerial or head of practice level. Of those in managerial positions, 69% were men.

Overall, solicitors’ focus was mainly on private clients (47%) and companies (41%), with 28% having advised overseas clients. Just under 20% of private practice solicitors did legal aid work.

However, male solicitors in private practice were more likely to deal with private sector firms and charities, while women lawyers worked with legally aided clients more often than their male counterparts.

The study showed a marked difference in the practice areas chosen by men and women in the profession. While 61% of male solicitors said they had carried out business and commerce work in the previous 12 months, only 39% of women had done so. The greatest difference between the sexes was in criminal law work, where 67% of male solicitors had acted in the past 12 months, compared to 33% of women. Women dominated only in the family law sphere, where 55% had acted in the past year, compared to 45% of men.

The study also examined the age of those working in different practice areas. Wills and probate and residential conveyancing were the two fields where the mean age of practising solicitors was at its highest, at 45 and 44 respectively, and these were the most popular areas of practice for solicitors aged over 55. The youngest solicitors worked in personal injury, with a mean age of 39. This was also the least popular area of practice for the over-55s.

The vast majority of those surveyed worked full-time, with only 12% working part-time (though this rose to 17% in both central and local government). In private practice, only 10% of solicitors worked part-time and, of these, 60% were consultants, while just 5% were equity partners.

More than three-quarters of respondents worked in firms that offered arrangements for flexible working. However, 38% who had this opportunity did not take it up, while 36% used the arrangement every week. Overall, solicitors rated flexible working as seven out of ten on a scale of importance, while those who used the arrangements frequently rated its importance as 10.

On average, solicitors had worked with their current employer for seven years, while 70% had always been employed in the sector of the profession in which they now work, and 57% said they would not switch to another sector.

Law Society president Linda Lee said the Society’s diversity and inclusion charter aimed to address gender imbalances in the profession.

  • The full study is available here.