Cultural & Linguistic Diversity at Clayton Utz

A considerable challenge for law firms in Australia is the lack of cultural diversity – particularly at senior levels.

We have a clear strategy to be a culturally sophisticated firm that maximises domestic and regional business benefits through outstanding cultural intelligence. Our framework entails taking internal action (eg. focusing on recruitment, measuring and monitoring), engaging with our supply chain, and of course engaging with the community.

Externally, we partner with, and participate in, various bodies such as the Asian Leadership Project, the Asian Australian Lawyers Association, African Australian Legal Network, the Asia Society, and Diverse Women in Law. We're also working with CareerSeekers (an organisation built on the successful model of CareerTrackers) and other agencies to support refugee employment.

Internally, our national and local cultural diversity interest groups meet regularly, share stories and lead initiatives including our cultural capability training. Our reverse mentoring program is designed to provide insights into diversity and inclusion challenges, including ones experienced by those in diverse groups in the Firm.