At a time when it feels equality, diversity and inclusion policies in law firms and elsewhere are under attack from across the pond, the Law Society of England and Wales is celebrating 200 years of diverse voices in law.

By no means has it been an unobstructed journey, but the legal profession has gradually echoed not only progress in our society but the society itself. Legal professionals from all walks of life qualified and were eventually admitted as solicitors ensuring a profession whose diversity better reflects the society it serves.

The year 1863 was a milestone when Arthur Ryland of Birmingham became the first provincial solicitor elected to the Law Society Council. Two decades later, Eliza Orme became the first woman to obtain a law degree in England without being able to qualify as a solicitor.

In the 1920s, Carrie Morrison became the first woman admitted as a solicitor and in the Bristol Sessions, the first women jurors were allowed to sit in a trial.

The first known Black solicitor, Manuel Chandri Delgado, qualified in 1955.

The 21st century saw the Law Society appointing its first female president, Carolyn Kirby; the first Black president, I. Stephanie Boyce; and the first Asian and first Muslim president, Lubna Shuja. 

Two centuries after the Law Society was established, we continue to push for more change and progress towards greater diversity and inclusion in the legal sector. Legal professionals and law firms bravely continue to widen the profession embedding lasting change and creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and safe. 

As the Law Society of England and Wales celebrates its bicentenary, we look to the past and our rich history to draw inspiration and the confidence to deliver further changes to create a diverse community for our children and the next generations.

Richard Atkinson is president of the Law Society of England and Wales.