Page 17 - Transformation Report 2023

Developing Legal Practitioners
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As young professionals finish their articles at law firms, the hope is for a professional
appointment at a firm followed by progression to eventual directorship. With limited
opportunities at law firms for such appointments, the opportunity to transform and develop
young professionals to director positions is more challenging than with candidate legal
practitioners, making appointment percentages at member firms an important metric in
assessing transformation impact.

In 2022, black legal practitioner appointments exceeded the PH Group requirement of 50%
black appointments with 53% of all appointments being black, up from 40% in 2021, and
39.5% black female appointments also up from 35% in 2021. Overall, the number of black and
white female appointments reached an all-time high with nearly 70% of all legal practitioner
appointments being female, up from 60% in 2021.

2023 saw a dip in the numbers with the overall percentage of black appointments dropping
slightly to 42% and black and female appointments dropping to 62%. However, annual
fluctuations are to be expected and the steady upward trajectory in candidate legal practitioner
appointments will no doubt ensure that black and female professional appointments follow suit.

Enormously positive remains the continuing upward curve of black and female appointments
over time, with female appointments, in particular, charting similar lines as at the candidate
legal practitioner level and boding well for gender transformation within the profession.

:
Black and white female
Appointments:
appointments
Black and White females

Professional Development

Over 50 professional development webinars were presented during 2022 and 2023 to young
professionals at member firms by the PH Group, with experts from within the PH Group as well
as the academia, hosting webinars for professionals on a range of topics, including specialist
areas such as family law, competition law, tax law, advanced estate planning, medical
negligence, sectional titles, trust law, beneficial ownership, and more.The impact and growth of
the Professional Development Webinar Series continue year-on-year as the demand for expert
training escalates within the PH Group.

GROUP