Three quarters of respondents said the industry has a diversity issue.

The legal industry has been slammed for its elitism by top U.K. lawyers, in a survey that shows the vast majority feel law firms fail to reflect wider society.

Three quarters of U.K. lawyers said they feel the legal industry has a diversity problem, with one in five saying they would describe it as "a bit of a bubble", a Legal Week poll of nearly 250 lawyers found.

Asked about their education, 39% said they attended private school, which is significantly higher than the national average of 8%.

In addition, one in five went to Oxford University or the University of Cambridge, compared with the current U.K. student population, of which one in 50 students attends Oxbridge.

One state school-educated female partner at a large London firm said: "I think social mobility is the biggest issue that faces the legal profession today – far more than diversity or even mental health."

Just 2% of respondents said they felt the industry was a true representation of wider society.

Asked for one thing to change about the industry, various people mentioned social mobility.

"It needs to be less elitist. Everyone should have a chance if they are capable," said one in-house lawyer in her 50s. "I hear negative comments about [an] applicant's education. I reject that elitism that exists. I applaud the need to ensure those that practise are able and resilient."

Another called for "true diversity and social mobility, with more opportunities for agile and flexible working".

A female equity partner at a U.K. firm wanted an end to "the prevalence of white, Anglo-Saxon males with expectations derived only from their perceived status in society", adding: "All of that sense of entitlement, mixed with cultures which frankly view working as many chargeable hours as possible as pissing contests, create a toxicity and lack of professionalism, which we, and our clients, could do without."