Professor Gus John is to chair the Equality & Diversity and Social Mobility (EDSM) Group that will contribute to the Legal Education and Training Review. 

The Legal Education and Training Review is a joint project of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and ILEX Professional Standards. It constitutes a fundamental, evidence-based review of education and training requirements across regulated and non-regulated legal services in England and Wales.

The EDSM Group has been set up to give specialist advice and guidance: as part of its remit, the group will be looking at the recently published Discussion Paper on Equality Diversity and Social Mobility.

The Discussion paper was published on April 23rd and it focuses on three main areas: the demographic composition of the profession; the ways in which existing education and training practices may put barriers in the way of aspiring lawyers, therefore preventing equality of opportunity; questions aimed at eliciting answers on the key issues.

Commenting on his appointment, Gus John emphasised that “ensuring equality of opportunity is an important legal and regulatory objective for further and higher education institutions, approved regulators and legal services providers”. He also added that he is “keen to engage key stakeholders on the subject of equality, diversity and social mobility to ensure that the Review is informed by a broad range of opinion and experience”.

Dame Janet Gaymer, Co-Chair of the Consultation Panel, said: “we are delighted to welcome Professor John as chair of the EDSM as his background in education is ideally suited to the key issues of accessibility we are examining as part of the Review”.

Read more: LETR Bulletin (June edition).

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