Winners: Inclusive Recruitment Programme of the Year

Our recruitment approach was recognised as Inclusive Recruitment Programme of the Year at the Legal Benchmarking Social Impact Awards EMEA 2025.

Commenting on the achievement, Gerard Kelly SC, Partner with responsibility for Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at Mason Hayes & Curran, said:

“Our internship programme, 'Sustaining Your Future', recognises that increasing the diversity and inclusiveness of our internship candidates is vital to sustaining our long-term business success and to delivering on our firm’s commitment to representation and social justice. This recognition underscores our continued focus on inclusive hiring practices and on building a profession that better reflects the communities we serve.”

The Awards recognise initiatives that deliver meaningful, measurable impact in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion across the legal profession. This year saw a significant increase in submissions across all categories, reflecting the growing scale and ambition of firm-wide social impact programmes across the EMEA region.

Key themes emerging from the 2025 honourees included:

• Scaling access to justice through digital innovation and cross-sector collaboration

• Embedding DEI at every organisational level, with a strong focus on retention and leadership pathways for underrepresented talent

• Advancing climate and environmental justice through litigation, advisory work and policy innovation

• Supporting vulnerable communities, including initiatives focused on refugee rights, women’s empowerment, youth education and disability inclusion

Find out more about our DEI programme