Law firms are being challenged by Justice Minister Bridget Prentice to publish their diversity figures, showing their commitment to opening up the profession to people from all backgrounds
. At the end of April 2007, 40 firms and seven chambers had published their diversity data. Urging law firms to stop shepherding new recruits into specialisms based on background or gender, Prentice says women lawyers and those from ethnic minorities are sometimes shunted into family and immigration work respectively, which might not be where their strength or preference lies.
