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AbstractFor leading law firms in the City of London, diversity and inclusion has become an important human resources strategy during the past fifteen years. A recent focus on social class within the sector has been encouraged by increasing governmental concerns relating to social mobility which acknowledge that elite professions, particularly the law, have become more socially exclusive over the past thirty years. Based on a detailed qualitative study of six leading law firms conducted between 2006 and 2010, this paper asks: why do leading law firms discriminate on the basis of social class? It argues that discrimination is a response to conflicting commercial imperatives, the first to attract talent and the second to reduce risk and enhance image. The paper describes these dynamics, emphasising the role played by the ambiguity of knowledge. It argues that until these conflicting demands are reconciled, organisational and state-sponsored initiatives centred on the 'business case' for diversity, may achieve only limited success.