Access to legal work experience and its role in the (re)production of legal professional identity

Francis, Andrew; Sommerlad, Hilary

doi:10.1080/09695950903204961

Cited by 22 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…For vacation placement students, the placement itself represents an extended form of assessment during which they are generally set both individual tasks and more exercises. During this time the students are subject to extensive surveillance by both HRM and (sometimes covertly) by other members of the law firm (Francis & Sommerlad, 2009;: "In the programme itself, that's when the weaknesses or strengths are revealed . .…”

Section: Assessment Centres (Acs) and Competenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The commercialisation of law and the enterprising legal practitioner: continuity and change

Sommerlad

2011

International Journal of the Legal Profession

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Section: Assessment Centres (Acs) and Competenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…See tooFrancis and Sommerlad (2009). [6] The term Human Resource Management (HRM) was imported from the US in the 1980s, replacing personnel management.…”

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confidence: 99%

The commercialisation of law and the enterprising legal practitioner: continuity and change

Sommerlad

2011

International Journal of the Legal Profession

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“…Despite professions such as accounting and law appearing to have accepted the close tying of educational credentials to meritocratic access as an ‘ideological necessity’, their role in supporting access to status required restricted entry (Larson, 1977, p. 51). Hence, professional practices, such as restricting access to work experience requirements, have contributed to historical and continued professional closure for those seen as ‘other’, as a result of their gender, race, or class (Francis and Sommerlad, 2009; Hammond, 2002; Sommerlad, 2007).…”

Section: Gendered Identities In Professional Services Firmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body Beautiful? Gender, Identity and the Body in Professional Services Firms

Haynes

2011

Gender Work & Organization

151

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This article explores the professional identity formation of professionals and its relationship with their embodied physical image, with a particular focus on women in accounting and law. It examines the role of the professional services firm in defining a professional body image, socialization processes that contribute to the definition of the professional body, the role of the client in defining professionalism, the legitimation of certain types of embodied identities and the importance of the body in defining gendered perceptions of the self. The article draws on Bourdieu's concepts of capital to explore how physical capital is implicated in processes of socialization, subordination and control. By examining the development of professional embodiment of women in accounting and law, and drawing on interviews with contemporary practitioners, the article argues that notions of physical capital remain highly gendered in professional services firms, with implications for equality and diversity in the professions.

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“…The disadvantage experienced by less privileged students may be compounded by a lack of social capital, differential ownership of which has an impact both on an individual's ability to access a career within the sector and the likelihood that they should aspire to do so (Allatt, 1993;Ball, 2003;Bourdieu, 1984;Reay, 2005;Skeggs, 1994;Francis and Sommerlad, 2009). …”

Section: Social Class and Forms Of Capital In The Legal Professionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differentiation and discrimination: Understanding social class and social exclusion in leading law firms

2012

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This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link AbstractFor leading law firms in the City of London, diversity and inclusion has become an important human resources strategy during the past fifteen years. A recent focus on social class within the sector has been encouraged by increasing governmental concerns relating to social mobility which acknowledge that elite professions, particularly the law, have become more socially exclusive over the past thirty years. Based on a detailed qualitative study of six leading law firms conducted between 2006 and 2010, this paper asks: why do leading law firms discriminate on the basis of social class? It argues that discrimination is a response to conflicting commercial imperatives, the first to attract talent and the second to reduce risk and enhance image. The paper describes these dynamics, emphasising the role played by the ambiguity of knowledge. It argues that until these conflicting demands are reconciled, organisational and state-sponsored initiatives centred on the 'business case' for diversity, may achieve only limited success.

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Access to legal work experience and its role in the (re)production of legal professional identity

Cited by 22 publications

References 39 publications

The commercialisation of law and the enterprising legal practitioner: continuity and change

The commercialisation of law and the enterprising legal practitioner: continuity and change

Body Beautiful? Gender, Identity and the Body in Professional Services Firms

Differentiation and discrimination: Understanding social class and social exclusion in leading law firms

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