Page 11 - Transformation Report 2023

Candidate Legal Practitioners 9

Candidate legal practitioner appointments represent the entry point for professional transforma-
tion in small and medium-sized law firms. From our experience with smaller firms, legal prac-
titioners and ultimately director appointments, generally follow from young professionals who
commenced their careers at the firm as candidate legal practitioners. Consistency in the appoint-
ment of black and female candidate legal practitioners is therefore vital to the development and
appointment of black and female legal practitioners within the PH Group.

In 2022, 64% of all new candidate legal practitioner appointments in the PH Group were black,
remaining consistent with the 67% black appointments in 2021. Of all appointments, 44% were
black females, up from 40% in 2021, with the overall tally for female appointments remaining
consistent at just over 67% as compared to 66% in 2021.

In 2023, black candidate legal practitioner appointments in the PH Group increased to over 70%
of all appointments, with black female appointments moving to nearly 50% of all appointments
made and black and white female appointments accounting for nearly 70% of all appointments
in 2023.

These numbers continue to exceed the set PH Group Standards for candidate legal practitioner
appointments and confirm the impact of focused group graduate recruitment initiatives. The ex-
ceptional gender percentages also underscore a steady shift away from traditional male appoint-
ments and will undoubtedly in time translate to broader gender transformation within the profes-
sional ranks of member firms and the legal profession.

Member firms spent nearly R20 million on the remuneration of black candidate legal practitioners
in 2022 and 2023 who served articles at member firms, with remuneration trends also showing a
steady upward curve as member firms continue to increase remuneration levels to attract quality
legal graduates to their firms.

2023 2023

2022 2022 50%
64% 70% 44%

Black candidate legal Black candidate legal Black female appointments Black female appointments
practitioner appointments practitioner appointments in the PH Group in the PH Group
in the PH Group in the PH Group

GROUP