“This practice further entrenches discriminatory practices and often takes on a gendered nature.”

According to the research findings, 11 per cent of female lawyers leave legal roles because they are seeking better mentorship.

The research also found that, commonly, if a lawyer wants to progress within a firm, he or she will need the sponsorship of a senior partner.

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Mentorship is, thus, essential for younger lawyers, he surmised, because it provides a forum for skill development and a sounding board to discuss the difficulties that any junior lawyer inevitably faces.

“As lawyers progress through the ranks, mentoring (and more structured sponsorship programs) assume increased importance,” he posited.

“Having a senior partner supporting a lawyer through promotional opportunities can be critical in career development, particularly towards partnership level as promotional processes becomes more opaque [sic].”

The IBA is encouraging firms to strengthen their mentoring programs, Mr Pender said, and more importantly, to ensure that any already-existing workplace programs are transparent enough.

“Firms should consider making mentorship programs more structured and transparent,” he said.

“While much mentoring still takes place at the pub on a Friday night, partners should be cognisant that such (traditionally male-dominated, alcohol-fueled) environments might be uncomfortable or inaccessible for many of their colleagues, entrenching barriers to diversity.”