Traditionally partnerships are based on ambiguous and negotiated relationships amongst professional peers, who are the firm's owners as well as its core producers. But in recent years there has been a growing acceptance amongst partners in large international law firms that they require more explicit forms of performance measurement and management and more hierarchical structures of governance in order to maximise Profits per Partner - the professional partnership is becoming a bit more corporate.

It was this change which prompted researchers from the Centre of Professional Service Firms to study the rise of the management professional and their role in the professionalisation of management in large international law firms.

It may come as no surprise to read that the UK's leading law firms discriminate on the basis of social class when recruiting but most law firms insist that they value diversity.

One question then is: whydo leading law firms persist in discriminating on the basis of social class? Read the full report to find out more.

This research suggests that though diversity strategies do little to change organisational cultures, those that recognise both the depth of professional prejudice within the sector and the reality of educational inequality across the UK may prove relatively progressive nonetheless.

We argue for an integrative perspective on organizing professionals, one which focuses on the dynamic interplay between the professional service firm and the contending, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives presented by the profession, professionals, and their clients.