Pathways to Law social mobility programme extended to GCSE students

The social mobility scheme Pathways to Law is being widened to GCSE students, the Sutton Trust has announced.

A £1 million boost in funding from organisations across the legal profession has enabled Pathways to Law to expand its programme to students in years 10 and 11, where previously it had only been available to sixth form students. As the Law Society Gazette reports, the programme will be run through 12 partner universities and will target academically talented students from less-privileged backgrounds. Pathways to Law will help some 1,800 students with their application and CV writing, and interview technique over the next four years – a crucial boost for people entering a profession in which three quarters of judges and QCs were privately educated.

Pathways to Law is funded the Legal Education Foundation, the Law Society, Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Clifford Chance, Cooley, DLA Piper, Eversheds, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters and Macfarlanes.

Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the Sutton Trust, said: “Greater access to a wider pool of diverse talent will deliver real benefits for employers and employees alike.”