Black History Month 2026 celebrates the achievements, contributions and history of Black people in Britain. This year’s theme is “Honouring Our Communities”. To mark the event, Oluwapelumi Amanda Adeola of Trinity Chambers asked colleagues from across the law what BHM means to them. Here she speaks to Shakira Maynard-Johnson of KJ Smith Family Law
Shakira Maynard-Johnson, KJ Smith Family Law
What role does representation within the legal profession play in honouring communities?
Representation within the legal profession plays a huge factor – an integral role – in honouring communities. Whilst I could list many reasons for this, I will focus on the two that I feel are top of the list.
Firstly, representation is crucial for those who aspire to practice within the legal profession. It is an undisputed fact that ethnic minorities make up a small percentage of legal professionals. In other words, those of an ethnic minority background are under-represented in the legal profession. This lack of representation effectively marginalises these communities. The detrimental impact of this on aspiring professionals belonging to these particular communities is that it creates a false perception that the profession may be out of reach for them.
Pursuing a career in the legal profession is challenging. However, when you’re faced with such a challenge and you are able to look toward the finishing line and see your community represented in numbers, you have an unspoken privilege. This is because representation symbolises inclusivity, and therefore positively affirms to those aspiring individuals that not only can they too cross the finishing line and make it into the profession; but also, that they will be welcomed into the profession. Sadly, due to lack of representation within the profession, not all communities benefit from this privilege. This is a shame, not only for those individuals who may be discouraged from pursuing their ambitions, – it’s a significant loss for the profession itself, as it misses out on evolving and strengthening via the benefits that diversity brings. Representation will knock down these barriers.
Secondly, representation within the legal profession is crucial to building public trust. A profession that reflects and represents diversity is a profession that reflects the realities of society. This will reassure communities that the profession is equipped to represent any and all individuals, regardless of their background, which in turn increases access to justice for all.
What does culturally competent client care look like in family law?
When a client instructs a family solicitor, it is usually because they are going through one of the worst times of their life. Part of our job is to ease that for them. It is because of this, that client care isn’t just about the law. It’s about relating to our clients, connecting with them and making them feel heard and understood.
In my view, cultural client care begins with a firm’s general marketing and way before a client formally engages with a law firm. For example, when a prospective client visits a law firm’s website, they do this to get an initial feel for the firm and assess whether they would feel comfortable instructing that particular firm. If the images used throughout that firm’s website and the “meet the team” pages do not reflect cultural diversity, then individuals of certain backgrounds may feel discouraged from engaging with that firm, as they may question the firm’s ability to fully meet and understand their needs. They will question the firm’s cultural competency.
Culturally competent client care therefore looks like a firm that has the resources to meet the needs of every client regardless of their cultural background. I experienced the importance of this myself when I met with a prospective client who was of an ethnic background. At the end of our meeting, the client confirmed that they wanted to instruct me. They commented that their reasons for doing so were not just because they were confident in my ability to represent them in the law, but also, they believed that because of our cultural similarities, I would understand them. This was very important for them. To this particular client, my cultural background was a source of connection which put them at ease in an emotionally difficult situation. This was culturally competent client care.
Therefore, to be culturally competent, firms need to ensure they are thinking about the full client experience and not just about providing legal advice. Firm’s need to ensure that they employ staff from different cultural backgrounds, offer and invest in necessary training, and adopt values that embrace culture.
How can solicitors work more effectively with community organisations to improve access to justice?
In order to improve access to justice, we must first have an understanding of the weaknesses of the profession and the barriers that exist in respect of access to justice. We must then be willing to use our platform to tackle these obstacles head on.
For example, I believe that lack of representation of certain communities within the legal profession has a negative impact on aspiring professionals from those particular backgrounds. One of the ways to combat this could be to simply offer mentoring programmes, work experience placements, or to deliver presentations to local schools, universities and youth clubs to educate and motivate the next generation of lawyers.
Being visible to the public is also important in building trust. Supporting or even hosting local initiatives, such as community events, sends a message to the public that we are accessible and creates a direct opportunity for us to have open conversations with the public about their views. Such a small gesture can go a long way to assist in improving access to justice.
Oluwapelumi Amanda Adeola is a barriter at Trinity Chambers and a member of Resolution’s EDI committee
Read the full article in The Review
