The Law Society has recently updated its diversity and inclusion language guidance, encouraging members to stop using "Dear Sirs" in letters and emails and instead use more inclusive, gender-neutral greetings. But why is this important?

Within the legal profession you’d likely struggle to find someone who hasn’t sent or received correspondence addressed “Dear Sirs”. It is a greeting that is all too common, regardless of the gender identity of the recipient, even if known to the sender. The greeting seems to have a stronghold on the legal profession, and it was one of the first things that confused me when I first began my career.

The greeting harks back to the historic gender imbalance within the legal profession; it was not until the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 which allowed women to become lawyers. As stated within the updated Law Society guidance, the greeting “perpetuates the assumption that the recipients of correspondence are by default men”. Today, there are more women than men practicing as solicitors, and further, as we become a society more accepting of many gender identities, it is time the language we use reflected this.

The Law Society’s guidance accurately encapsulates that by moving to gender-neutral language, not only can we address the outdated practice of addressing correspondence with “Dear Sirs”, but also uphold the SRA’s Principle 6 to act “in a way that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion".

As an individual who identifies as a woman, I can only attest to the ire an email addressed “Dear Sirs” brings, especially in the circumstance where the greeting continues to be used throughout a chain of correspondence. Though I cannot feign innocence, and admit I too have used the greeting before, such use has further perpetuated the outdated presumption that all lawyers are men. The modern legal profession continues to become more and more diverse and we should actively celebrate this. By adapting our language to recognise this diversity, it can only bring about positivity and a vibrancy to this diverse profession.

The Law Society guidance includes recommended alternative greetings, including my favourite “Good morning/Good afternoon”. Though changing a greeting may seem small, it is necessary to ensure inclusivity, and I for one am excited to say farewell to “Dear Sirs”.