Why becoming an inclusion ally makes a difference

This article has been produced by Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, sponsors of LawCareers.Net’s Diversity hub.

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Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is proud to be a firm that supports everyone's individuality and promotes an inclusive environment. Inclusion allies were introduced to play a huge part towards this and supports our core value of “we all bring something different”.

As of 2023, we have 218 inclusion allies across the firm. These are individuals who support and advocate on behalf of many different groups, including LGBTQ+, disability, ethnicity, gender and faith groups. This helps to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels comfortable bringing themselves to work and to perform better when here.

Read more about Gowling’s Inclusion for All strategy via this LCN Says.

Dawn Beddard, our senior corporate communications manager, is an inclusion ally, but she was hesitant at first: “I was in two minds about signing up as an inclusion ally because I believe everyone should be respectful and supportive of colleagues. However, after talking to our DE&I team and colleagues to learn more, I discovered that it’s essential for people to show their support and continue to educate themselves.

Activity as an inclusion ally can range from wearing an ally lanyard, a visible way to show your support,  by attending events to learn more or even heading up one of our networks.

“I try to attend as many DE&I events as I can – I find them enjoyable and a great way to meet different people from across the business. I also learn a great deal about what colleagues and communities could go through and are going through, and how my actions and behaviour could be hindering progress or what I could do to support moving forward towards a more inclusive society.”

“I’ve recently seen the term LGBTQ+ ally, but what is it and how can I be an authentic ally?” – LawCareers.Net has answered this question in The Oracle.

Anyone throughout the business can become an inclusion ally. Gowling supports all allies by providing up-to-date education, including newsletters, stories and education tools. In return, the firm's expectations of an ally are for them to:

• challenge others;
• participate in events and sessions;
• include others in conversations; and
• educate yourself on the issues your colleagues face and share.

However, ultimately it’s up to the individual themselves as to how involved they’d like to be.

This article has been produced by Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, sponsors of LawCareers.Net’s Diversity hub.