Culture, diversity and CSR

“Working at Osborne Clarke is not only about learning to be great lawyers, it is also about learning to be responsible citizens.”

Chess board

At Osborne Clarke, taking care of our people, our communities and the world at large is not only simply the right thing to do.

It's part of who we are.

D&I: creating inspiring and inclusive spaces

Diversity is one of the most highly prized attributes of Osborne Clarke.

But knowing that a diverse workplace doesn’t necessarily mean an inclusive one, we’re committed to uncovering our blind spots and making sure everyone enjoys the same opportunities regardless of who they are, who they love or where they come from.

Through our internal networks and alongside our partnerships with external organisations such as Stonewall and Rare we aim to highlight and address inequalities and ensure Osborne Clarke is a workplace that works for everybody.

Our Inclusion Allies programmes enhances cultural understanding and empowers colleagues across the firm to be active allies. Our senior leaders, including the Executive and Operational Boards, are engaged in reverse mentoring to better understand the diverse workplace experiences of all colleagues.
Get involved with our networks

The OC difference lies with our people. So we don’t just make sure our future lawyers have all the legal and technical training to succeed – we care about their personal needs, too. That means:

OC REACH

OC REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) aims to increase ethnic minority representation in the firm from recruitment to senior level, while growing awareness of the different cultures already present. We have an Executive Champion for Race who was appointed to help speed up the pace of change, and we have put together a statement on race which lists the actions we are taking.

a woman standing in front of a screen holding a microphone
OC Pride

Our LGBT+ network supports every member of the LGBT community, working on raising awareness through events and knowledge sessions, partnering with external organisations such as Stonewall, where we were a signatory on the Trans Rights are Human Rights campaign, and ensuring that supportive policies are put into place at firm level.

OC Pride are the voice of the LGBTQ+ community within Osborne Clarke, raising awareness and addressing issues related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
OC Gender

This network hosts various events and initiatives. From mentoring, to sponsoring a female only GC roundtable and a female ‘rising star’ networking event. It’s currently working to make recommendations to improve female progression in one of our practice groups. Our most recent Gender Pay Gap report provides more insight into our progress and plans.

As signatories to the Law Society's Women in Law Pledge, OC 50:50 helps us meet our commitment and provides a roadmap to achieving gender equality among our senior hires, partner recruitment and promotions, and succession pipeline.
OC Age

We have signed up to the Age-friendly employer pledge, and ensure that we provide an age friendly culture and environment that is fit for individuals across different generations.

OC Mind and Body
Through our Mind and Body Network, we've been providing wellbeing events and activities for a number of years.

From free fruit, health checks and a flu vaccination programme, to free fitness sessions - our new Bristol office even has in-house yoga and spin studios. We also have a network of around 100 mental health champions who are trained to spot any difficulties early on.

We’re also committed to ensuring our office, technology and recruitment processes remain as accessible as possible, making reasonable changes to accommodate differing needs – whether that’s physical disabilities, or in relation to neuro-diversities such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism. If you require any adjustments to participate in our recruitment process, let us know and we’ll do all we can to support you.

a woman and a man in a room with shelves
OC Social Diversity

One of the key differentiators of our firm is the complete diversity of perspectives we bring together – only made possible by ensuring we hire people from a range of backgrounds. Our Social Diversity network supports and celebrates the social diversity within the firm while offering support to young people through our external outreach programmes with the Social Mobility Business Partnership and GROW mentoring and The 93% Club.

In 2023 we ranked 19th in the Social Mobility Employer Index, maintaining a place among the top 75 companies for social diversity.
OC for Good: shaping the future of our firm
The OC networks are part of a broader set of aims and activities which are captured in three pillars, under our over-arching OC for Good initiative.

Being a Good Employer is the first pillar, encompassing – among other things – our D&I objectives. Being a Good Corporate Citizen the second, while the third focuses on doing Good Business. Within each of these areas there are countless initiatives and projects with fantastic opportunities for you to get involved with the issues lying closest to your heart. Have other ideas about what we could be doing? We’ll want to hear them. Because within this rapidly evolving space there’s always going to be ways to do things better.

Good Corporate Citizen
We take our responsibilities to society seriously and try to make a difference across four areas of impact: education, environment, equality and poverty.

The dedication and passion of our volunteers has had real and measurable impact across our wider community, as well as within the firm, and we’re incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.

Get involved:
Pro-bono
Providing everyone with equal access to justice plays an important role in the building and growth of societies, allowing people to better understand and use the law and legal services in the protection of their rights. Obviously as a law firm we’re ideally placed to offer greater access to justice through pro-bono advice and support, and as an Osborne Clarke employee you can volunteer with organisations such as Z2K and the Bristol Law Centre.
case study
Osborne Clarke's pro bono volunteers advise Z2K client in successful DWP appeal
Learn more
Environment: supporting a sustainable future
Climate change is here, and no other single factor will determine the future of our world more than this. It’s why we’ve made Decarbonisation one of the pillars of our client offering. But recognising that responsibility starts at home, as a firm we’re committed to doing whatever we can to operate more sustainably. Active over the last 15 years, OC’s colleague-led Sustainable Business Group (OC Planet) has been instrumental in identifying and implementing changes to how we operate that reduce the firm’s carbon footprint, conserve our use of natural resources and encourage sustainable behaviour and business practices. We are also one of a few UK law firms to announce our commitment to science based targets as part of our Net Zero Strategy.
Education: a powerful route to empowerment
Education offers those who may be economically and socially marginalized the opportunity to rise above their individual circumstances and participate fully within society. With this in mind, we support a wide range of educational organisations with whom you can volunteer your time, including our flagship program ‘The Bridge’ with a local school which aims to provide career inspiration and employability skills to support the next generation.
Good Business

We work to make sure that we do business in a fair and sustainable way. That means committing to ethical procurement, fair supplier management, an open dialogue with our stakeholders and good governance.

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The inside view

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