The Law Society is proud to celebrate Pride this month with a range of activities to show our support for the LGBTQIA+ community, including solicitors, trainees, staff and members of the public.
We are flying the rainbow flag for the month of June at Blackhall Place and the Law Society logo has been updated on our websites and social media channels to reflect the rainbow colours, symbolising the LGBTQIA+ community.
OUTLaw Network brunch
Law Society President Maura Derivan and Director General Mark Garrett will be proudly attending the OUTLaw Network brunch and march on Saturday 24 June.
OUTLaw Network, which represents LGBT+ lawyers and allies across the legal community, is hosting a range of events to mark Pride 2023, including a pre-Pride March brunch, and the Pressies for Pride Raffle Draw 2023 in aid of LGBT+ charities.
To mark Pride 2023, OUTLaw is also raising funds for a number of LGBT+ charities. To contribute and enter their Prizes for Pride Raffle, visit their iDonate page
Useful resources, events and more
See updates on Law Society Pride activities and interesting resources below.
Books and journal articles
The Law Society Library has released a comprehensive 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' reading list of books and journal articles on topics such as Marriage Equality, Civil Partnership, Same-Sex Parenting, Constitutional Law and Discrimination.
Pride at the Law School
Our Trainees’ Diversity & Inclusion committee activities this month included participation in the Pride Run on 19 June (funded in part by the Law School) as well as two fundraiser coffee mornings complete with pride themed cupcakes for trainees and staff at Blackhall Place.
Commit to diversity in your workplace
The Law Society Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Charter which was launched in 2020 is a formal way for solicitors’ workplaces to publically show their commitment to the principles of gender equality, diversity and inclusion. The GEDI Charter has 166 signatories to date and we invite any legal firms, in-house and public sector legal teams who haven't done so already to join us in pledging their names to the Charter, and avail of useful diversity and inclusion resources.
Upcoming training
Our Law Society Professional Training team will host a conference in October for lawyers on EU law relating to vulnerable groups of migrants (TRALVU) which includes a talk on migrant LGBTQIA+. Booking for the event will open soon.
Dignity at work resources
The Law Society is committed to building a high functioning, psychologically safe community of practice; placing the dignity and wellbeing of lawyers at its centre. Law firms and legal teams can avail of valuable resources developed by Law Society Psychological Services to facilitate a positive workplace culture and to support dignity and respect.
FLAC Survey on unmet legal needs
FLAC has launched a research survey to address Unmet Legal Needs in Ireland's LGBTQIA+ Community. Available to complete until 30 June, the aim of the online survey is to gain a greater understanding of the legal issues faced by the LGBTQI+ community and facilitate a more inclusive and equitable society for all. For more information, visit the FLAC website.
Our long-term commitment
Of course Pride is more than a day, week or month, so to show more practical year round support and commitment, the Law Society has signed up as a Partner of Pride at Work which includes training for our staff to learn more about unconscious bias, be an ally and how to incorporate DEIB (Diversity, Intersectionality, Equality v Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) in the workplace.