Picture Change Podcast

The Intersection of Law and Black Identity: Insights from the Black Counsel Forum Founder

In this Picture Change episode, Partner Lorna Nsoatabe sit down with Sharon Thomas, Founder of the Black Counsel Forum, to delve into the significance of representation in the legal profession and discuss the challenges and experiences faced by Black lawyers.

Sharon also shares her inspiring journey, offering first-hand stories about the obstacles she faced and the motivations that kept her going. Additionally, Sharon provides an exciting preview of the upcoming Annual Black Counsel Forum Conference, a two-day curated experience designed to support Black heritage lawyers in navigating their careers.

Social Mobility Series

In our first series we zoom into the complexities of Social Mobility. Join Jane Edwarde, Diversity and Inclusion Partner, and Uzma Hamid-Dizier, Director of Responsible Business, as they sit down with experts in the field to discuss their work and personal experiences in order to help us picture change.

Listen to the episodes below or on your preferred podcast app by searching for ‘Slaughter and May Picture Change’. Subscribe to the show to be notified when new series or episodes are released.

Guest speakers include:

Cath Boggan and Clare Hix – Producers BBC documentary 'How to Crack the Class Ceiling’
Nik Miller – CEO, The Bridge Group
Sophie Pender – CEO, The 93% Club
Nick Bent – CEO, upReach
Chloe Halloran – Associate and Co-Chair of the SOMO Network, Slaughter and May

Episode 1
The class ceiling: Do people need to change or the professions?

Cath Boggan and Clare Hix, freelance producers of the BBC documentary 'How to crack the class ceiling', talk with us on the importance of social mobility and what businesses can do to enable social change. This episode delves into their own personal experiences and the documentary, answering the the question of whether the people need to change or the professions.

Episode 3
Breaking down barriers for state school students - Part 1: Sophie Pender's story

Sophie Pender, Founder and CEO of The 93% Club, tells us about her own experiences and the genesis of The 93% Club. This episode is split into two parts, diving into Sophie's experiences as a student and trainee solicitor, and her role as CEO and the work The 93% Club does to promote networking for state school students.

Part One

Part Two

Episode 2
Addressing Social Mobility using data

Nik Miller, CEO of The Bridge Group, discusses the importance of data when measuring and monitoring social mobility and the work the consultancy carries out to promote social equality. This episode explores the importance of breaking down common misconceptions around class and career progression, and how sharing evidence can be key to solving imbalances in workplace opportunity.

Episode 4
Bridging the gap: Access to legal careers for all

Nick Bent, CEO of upReach, joins us to discuss his experience as CEO at the charity and how it supports students to obtain top graduate jobs. Nick is joined by Associate, Chloe Halloran, to discuss her experience as a mentor on the Law Springboard programme.