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What about the skills no one teaches? Cynthia Agyeman, Lecturer in Law at the University of Salford’s Business School, talks to Legal Women UK about how social mobility can help women succeed in law.
During my college days, I longed to work for a Magic Circle or Silver Circle law firm, believing this to be the pinnacle of achievement. As an African girl with immigrant parents, I knew this would be difficult—not because of the rigorous academic requirements, but because I was navigating this journey without any legal connections.
Ten years later, that memory resurfaced. On my first day at a Silver Circle firm, whilst sat in a restaurant, my male manager exclaimed: "Oh, you went to Durham too, didn’t you?" The other newbie enthusiastically responded, and they reminisced about the dining rituals at Durham. The female Senior Associate and I spent the next ten minutes exchanging awkward glances across the table in silence. Our discomfort was palpable. I had trained at one of the best human rights law firms in the country and had a decade of experience yet felt excluded. Moments like these highlight the struggle women have in accessing social capital that is essential for social mobility and progression.
The social mobility ladder is steep
Social mobility is the measure of how an individual’s social status shifts in comparison to previous familial generations. It is an indicator of the opportunities available to you, in life. Social capital is a key driver for social mobility.
Strong social networks can provide access to prestigious schools; work experience at the best law firms and Barrister’s chambers; job openings; recommendations; mentorship; high profile cases and introductions that will get you to the top.
I am two years into my tenure as a Law Lecturer, at a non-Russell group University. I teach students from underrepresented groups in the profession. More women than men frequent my classrooms. Often, they are the first in their family to attend university, juggling caring responsibility, or in financial hardship. Some, like me, are immigrants. Significant upward mobility for women from working class and low-income households, is the exception, not the rule. The ladder of social mobility is steep, and I see how far we are asking these students to climb.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) 2023 Diversity Report found that while 62% of Solicitors are women, only 32% of full-equity partners are female. We cannot attribute all of this to having children and childcare. There will be women who have neither, amongst the data. Either there is an astonishing attrition rate, or the women are simply not being promoted, perhaps both. A study by Julian Richard in collaboration with the SRA, Black Solicitors’ Network (BSN) and the Law Society, confirms figures for ethnic minority women are much bleaker, since only 1% of Partners in law firms are black.
The impact of underrepresentation in leadership
The lack of women in leadership roles hinders progression, as underrepresentation affects confidence and self-efficacy. Networking in law, is a male dominated sport. I learnt this early, watching the men I once worked alongside as a junior, surpass me. My lived experience mirrors the trend in SRA data, which suggests for women, limited progress will be made.
The problem with higher education is that it perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, over-emphasising academic achievement. As a “pracademic” (practitioner-turned-academic) I recognise that a first-class degree is no guarantee of entry or access to higher echelons of the profession.
Skills that support social mobility like public speaking, networking and commercial awareness are overlooked and rarely feature on the curriculum. Yet they have never been more pertinent to the next generation of female Lawyers whose development is marred by lockdowns, teacher assessed grades, remote working and normalised abbreviated language of social media. For this reason, we ensure our students have networking opportunities within the industry and I have also integrated commercial awareness into a module I lead. We also offer opportunities for students to partake in mooting mock trials, giving them a chance to develop their public speaking skills in an environment reflective of a courtroom.
Discussions on social mobility tend to focus on barriers to equality, and explanations of less successful outcomes. Education strategies designed to enhance social mobility often promote inclusivity, but fail to address the unique challenges presented by gender inequality and intersectionality.
Driving social mobility to help women succeed
As educators, we are perfectly positioned to act as the bridge between women and key stakeholders in the legal world. We must work with careers services, expand our own networks, and engage with employers committed to diverse hiring.
Embedding networking opportunities within education is crucial. Collaboration with industry can introduce women, particularly those in minority backgrounds, to decision makers and contacts who can open doors. We can create a safe environment where women can perfect networking skills and accrue social capital which levels the playing field.
Mentorship is also critical. According to research from Fiona Kay and Jean Wallace, men with senior mentors, reported higher earnings, fair treatment and other advantages, compared to females. Targeted social mobility programmes would help women progress within legal education and the workplace.
The same research also highlights the importance of how junior Lawyers learn to access the resources of social capital. The way women seek careers assistance differs from men, but it becomes harder to ask if society already perceives you as less competent. Confidence is key. A classroom environment which encourages women to voice their opinions, increases confidence and helps establish relationships with Lecturers and peers that builds upon social capital.
Ultimately, if women are to achieve equal access to the best jobs in high-status, male-dominated fields, we must dismantle the ‘jobs for the boys’ mindset still defining our careers. This means challenging gender and race stereotypes early—because social mobility starts in the classroom, long before the workplace.
Cynthia Agyeman,
Lecturer in Law at the University of Salford’s Business School
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-agyeman-8444998b/
April 2025