Published: 29 June 2023

The first Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) talk and Q&A Why Diversity Matters with I. Stephanie Boyce, took place on Monday 12 June at St George's, University of London in the Michael Heron Lecture Theatre.

I. Stephanie Boyce was welcomed to St George’s by Vice-Chancellor Professor Jenny Higham who highlighted that she had previously heard Stephanie speak, summing it up simply as, “Just wow!”. Dr Vanessa Ho, Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion then went on to introduce Stephanie as a trailblazer in EDI and highlight her many achievements, culminating in her making history as the sixth female and the first black, first person of colour to become President of the Law Society of England and Wales in March 2021.

From the beginning of the talk, the audience, in-person and online, listened with rapt attention as Stephanie reflected on her journey from childhood to becoming the President of the Law Society.

Stephanie started by outlining her presidency as keeping the ship steady and stable through choppy waters, which included the UK leaving the EU, the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan, the death of Her Majesty the Queen and the biggest shake-up to the way solicitors train and qualify in 30 years. She went on to discuss that in her presidency she chose to prioritise the issue of diversity, inclusion and social mobility, spending her time challenging harmful and reductive attitudes.

Persevere until something happens

Stephanie was drawn to law from a young age. Her family relocated to America in 1985, where she said: “I would be overwhelmed by poverty. I would be overwhelmed by the injustices that I saw. People’s inability to access their rights because of their low socioeconomic position, because of the colour of their skin and how I longed to make a difference”.

She returned to England to obtain legal training and reflected on the hurdles she faced to become a solicitor including how difficult it had been to secure a training contract finally qualifying in 2002. She first worked as an in-house solicitor in the city before setting her sights on the Presidency, which she attained after four attempts, reminding the audience that, “Every door is open if you PUSH – persevere until something happens!”.

She further explained that during her presidency she aimed to do two things above everything else “be visible and to take the Law Society to places it had never been”. Travelling the world from Chicago to Delhi, she did just that.

Catalyst for change

Stephanie reflected on the death of George Floyd in 2020 acting as a catalyst for change. As Deputy Vice-President at the time, she was focused on action. Stephanie spoke of bringing together the Bar Council, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the regulators and the representative bodies to decide how they would collectively drive EDI in their professions, aiming to have a legal profession that reflected the society it serves.

Stephanie highlighted some of the initiatives that they set up including the Law Societies Race for Inclusion report, which she launched in 2020 with the Right Honourable David Lammy, MP.

Stephanie went on to identify key areas that professions can review in relation to EDI:

• Culture in the workplace – Stephanie suggested reviewing the use of images online and in buildings, considering how business is done and how networking and social events are organised, promoting diverse role models and highlighting channels to raise concerns both formally and informally. She also suggested the use of stay and exit interviews, reverse mentoring and ensuring regular diversity training and staff surveys.
• Policies – She advised that policies should be inclusive and visible, so people feel supported and recognised, and know where to find them.
• Collect diversity data – She noted the importance of collecting diversity data and then using the findings from these to make changes.
• Listen and work collaboratively – Lastly, she highlighted that listening to the voices of diverse staff and students is essential to drive change.

The event then moved on to questions. The audience was very engaged and there were many more questions than the time allowed. The event was closed by Professor Jenny Higham, thanking Stephanie for her talk and noting that the Law Society were very lucky to have had her as their leader.

About St George's Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) talk and Q&A

The new Annual EDI talk brings external speakers with unique expertise and diverse experiences from different sectors, to inspire and expand our community knowledge and awareness of contemporary EDI issues.