As part of our series of articles about race and the legal industry, Dechert London trainee Jonathan Burke pens his thoughts on the unhelpful argument of U.K. vs U.S. racism and how the legal profession must do better when it comes to diversity.

George Floyd's death at the hands of four police officers has been the catalyst for protests throughout the USA and further afield, including here in the U.K. This senseless killing was not an isolated incident. Rather it is the latest symptom of a larger, systemic issue.

In a BBC interview soon after the murder, George the Poet, a musician and podcaster, was asked why black people in the UK were so riled by this latest injustice.

Often, those in power in Britain seem to want some kind of commendation for what is deemed a more palatable version of racism in this country.

"You're not putting America and Britain on the same footing?" the presenter asked. "Our police are not armed… the legacy of slavery is not the same."