GCD&I Metrics Data for Dialogue: Read more
Supporting definitions
Acknowledging different approaches in gathering data, we recommend that definitions are agreed in advance in dialogue between Signatories and law firms.
Proposed Categories
It is suggested that the data will be requested in the first instance in respect of the following categories:
- Gender
- LGBTQ+
- Ethnicity
- Disability
- Social Economic Background
We recognise that definitions of diverse characteristics vary. Below are some suggested definitions that may be helpful for reference, but we suggest that you invite your law firms to share the data based on their own internal definitions of each category requested (agreed in advance) and provide any context around this as is helpful.
Gender: Male, Female; Prefer to Self-Describe or undisclosed.
LGBTQ+: an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Racial/Ethnic Minority: a reference to a particular ethnic group, i.e. a group of people with a shared culture, tradition, language, history, etc. which differs from the majority ethnic group in the country in which they live.
Disability is a term to include persons who have or have had an impairment, activity limitation or participation restriction, including physical, mental, intellectual or sensory, which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Social Economic Background: Socio-economic background (SEB): is a set of social and economic circumstances from which a person has come. This is determined based on what was the occupation of a person’s main household earner when the person was aged 14 and categorized as follows:
| Professional: | 1. modern and traditional professional (e.g. teacher, nurse, physiotherapist, social worker, musician, police officer (sergeant or above, software designer, accountant, solicitor, medical practitioner, scientist, civil or mechanical engineer) | |||||
| 2. senior, middle or junior managers or administrators (e.g. finance manager, chief executive, large business owner, office manager, retail manager, bank manager, restaurant manager, warehouse manager) | ||||||
| Intermediate: | 3. clerical and intermediate (e.g secretary, personal assistant, call centre agent, clerical worker, nursery nurse) | |||||
| 4. small business owners who employed less than 25 people (e.g. corner shop owners, small plumbing companies, retail shop owner, single restaurant or cafe owner, taxi owner, garage owner) | ||||||
| Lower: | 5. technical and craft (e.g. motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver) | |||||
| 6. routine, semi-routine manual and service (e.g. postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter or waitress, bar staff) | ||||||
| 7. long-term unemployed (e.g. claimed unemployment benefit for more than a year) | ||||||
Each level or role
The suggested categories are:
- Trainees
- Associate;
- Senior Associate
- Counsel
- Non-Equity Partner;
- Equity Partner
- Managing relationship roles for client accounts.
Non-billable/written off hours
Time spent on client investment, Pro Bono work, internal firm investment and non-client administration.
Origination credit
The Partner or lawyer who is credited with being the main point of introduction to the client; not all firms use this as a concept and the definition and approach that the firm takes to capturing this type of information will need to be agreed in advance.
Published on 18 Dec 24