Launch of barrister apprenticeships moving closer

Patrick McCann, co-chair of City Century – the City of London Law Society initiative that aims to increase the number of solicitor apprentices – said he did believe in impostor syndrome and had written about it.

“I think it’s about technique, and my technique is ‘inpostor’ syndrome. Working out why you’ve got to where you are should mean the next job is not quite so difficult.”

Mr McCann, who is also chief executive of the City of London Law Society, said he would be speaking to an audience of 130 solicitor apprentices later in the day and would be telling them: “Now that you’ve made it, I want you to go back into your communities and spread the word.

“Role models need to look like the people who are looking at them or someone they know in order for that to work.”

Mr McCann added that he was “more confident now that lower/middle management in law firms” were “on board” with increasing diversity, through mentoring, role modelling and being on recruitment panels, but he was “less convinced about the top level at the moment”.

He pointed to what has been happening in the US – where President Trump has been pushing back hard on diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives – and the impact that’s having here.

“We are seeing visible pull-back from activities which were meant to level up progression here. I worry about what that might do.”