Dear who? The ED&I Committee considers the ongoing use of traditional salutations

How many times have you penned your letters using the salutation "Dear Sirs" – it's almost done automatically and without a second's thought.  But is the continued use of "Dear Sirs" still appropriate today, considering the diverse nature of the legal profession? Is it right to assume your correspondent's gender is male, when the statistics show that in England in Wales less than half of lawyers are currently men?

The ED&I Committee were recently tasked with considering whether the continued use of "Dear Sirs" remains appropriate.

The past 5 years has certainly seen a shift away from the use of "Dear Sirs". In a move to make written communication reflect "a more equal, diverse and inclusive profession", the Law Society of Ireland discontinued the use of the salutation in 2020 and encouraged all colleagues to do the same. The Law Society of Scotland followed suit in 2021, as did the judiciary in 2022 by putting an end to district judges being addressed as "Sir" or "Madam". Indeed, over recent times, a number of law firms have also dropped the use of "Dear Sirs" in favour of a more inclusive greeting, starting with Freshfields back in 2016.

Although respectful of tradition and personal choice, the PLA would encourage members to acknowledge and embrace today's diverse nature of the legal profession. If you would like to use a more inclusive salutation, please consider the following alternatives to "Dear Sirs":

• Dear [law firm/company]
• Dear Colleague
• Dear Counsel

ED&I Committee