'I had never seen anybody who looked like me working as a lawyer' - Shabana Muneer on racial diversity in the legal sector

“I never remember seeing a woman who was wearing a headscarf, whether she was from a South Asian background or an African or Arab background, so for me, I never really knew whether it was even possible to get a job in law,” she adds.

“Looking back on it now, I think it was such a brave decision to go into the field, not knowing if I was going to make it, but I guess when it's something you want to do, you just pursue it regardless.”

20 years on, Muneer now acts as a mentor for those from ethnic minority backgrounds coming into the sector, and advocates to improve racial diversity and inclusion across the legal sector.

Muneer also works as Walker Morris’s representative for Stronger Together, a collaboration between Leeds’s big six law firms and big four accountancy firms, which aims to improve racial inclusion across the city’s legal and financial sector.

The collaboration sees representatives from each firm working together to put in place initiatives such as inter-firm mentoring, and allows the businesses to come together to share ideas on how to attract and retain those from racially diverse backgrounds.

Muneer also leads the Internal Culture sub-group of Walker Morris’ Racial Diversity Committee. Through this, she works towards making workplace events more inclusive for those from a variety of backgrounds.

“When I first started, that conversation just wasn't being had,” she says.

“I went into the corporate world and legal profession having never drunk alcohol for religious reasons, and never really being around people who drank alcohol, but all of a sudden I was thrown into this world where all social events were very heavily based around alcohol.

“There were so many events that I went to where I was just stood with a cup of water and nothing else, because nobody thought to cater to anybody who didn't drink.

“Through the Internal Racial Culture Committee, we look at things like if there is going to be an event in the office, how we can make it inclusive for everybody, even little things making sure there isn't only cocktails on offer but mocktails as well, or making sure there is veggie food or halal food.”

Muneer grew up in Leeds, where her parents moved before she was born. Originally from a small village in Pakistan, her father moved to Leeds to work in a local Mill in the late 1960s, making the journey with his father and brothers. Her mother followed a few years later.

“I look back and I don't think I would have had the confidence to do that, to leave everything you know. It's really inspiring when you look at their story,” says Muneer.

“My mum in particular would have never left her locality, they would’ve never seen a person who wasn't Pakistani before. They came not speaking a word of English, and did all that to provide a better life for a family they didn't even have yet. I just think it's phenomenal that they had the bravery to do that.”

One of four siblings, Muneer saw her family’s strong work ethic from a young age.

“I wouldn’t say we were necessarily poor, but my parents worked very very hard,” she says.

“In our household, there was always somebody working 24 hours a day. My dad worked nights in a factory after he left the mills, and we had a family newsagents which ran seven days a week. We grew up in an environment where everyone was working hard, and we were all expected to pitch in.”

As well as hard work, Muneer’s family also instilled the idea in her and her siblings that education was deeply important, something she believes led to the success the family have seen today. Whilst she is a lawyer, two of her siblings are teachers, and one is a GP with his own medical practice.

“There's a lot my parents did right,” she says, “which is why we have ended up in the position we’re in. They set up a good ethos in us.

“When we were growing up, there was a strong emphasis on the idea of ‘forget everything else, you have to get yourself a good education,’ but not all parents from a South Asian background had that attitude, especially for their daughters.

“There was still a stigma back then on girls going into further education and working in a corporate environment. The rights and wrongs of that are a different matter, but the fact that my parents ignored all of that and said ‘no, if you want to go and be a corporate lawyer, you go and be a corporate lawyer’, and provided the education for that to happen, is quite something, because it could have been a different picture.”

Muneer studied at the University of Leeds for her undergraduate degree, before going on to postgraduate study at the University of York.

She then worked as an employment lawyer at a national law firm for most of her career before eventually taking up her role at Walker Morris. Through her role, Muneer helps companies to navigate the legal procedures of bringing people to the UK from abroad to work.

This, she notes, is something she has a deep personal interest in.

“When I think back to how I am sitting here today, it was all down to economic migration. It was because my parents came to the UK for work.

“There is obviously a synergy there with what I'm helping people to do, and what my parents did many years previously. I think for lots of reasons, it all kind of naturally came together.”

Despite the positive movement that Muneer has seen on ethnic diversity in the legal sector, she still sees deep rooted problems of attraction and retention.

“I think there's probably a lot of factors, a lot of it still comes down to people not feeling included and not feeling they get the same opportunities as other people,” she says.

“There are lots of negative connotations that I think some parts of the media put forward, especially when it comes to Muslims and Muslim women in particular. As a muslim woman, the narrative is that you’re submissive, and you don't have a voice, and you’re forced to dress the way you dress because of some dominant male presence in your life, so you’re battling with that kind of stereotype.”

Muneer does believe, however, that the situation is now improving, and that people within the sector are now more willing than ever to help those just starting out.

“More often than not, people are willing to spare the time for things they're passionate about. There are lots of people in senior positions now who have had to go through the hardships that we went through, who want to give back, and want to try to make life easier for the new cohort coming through,” she says.

“So never be afraid to ask for help.”