For some time there has been a growing movement in the legal profession to create a more diverse workforce. This has led to a large number of diversity projects and access schemes, designed to ensure that every member of society knows that the law is a possible career. Inevitably the main focus has been on finding work experience in law firms and barristers’ chambers for school and undergraduate students. Below is a guide to several such schemes; it is by no means comprehensive. Please email info@lawcareers.net if you are involved in other schemes that could be featured here.

Careers guidance for London school pupils
Limitless London
James Wickes, a trainee with Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, and James Penn, a trainee with Charles Russell, grew up in Barking and Dagenham. Both were frustrated by the London borough’s lack of guidance for high-achieving and ambitious students who wanted to go to university and compete for top jobs in the City. Wickes and Penn thus co-founded Limitless London to meet that need. The non-profit organisation works with local teachers, pupils and sixth-formers to provide tailored careers advice for young adults through presentations, mentoring and actually getting students into firms. For more information, visit the website here.

Summer internships for ethnic minority students
SEO London
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) offers high quality mentoring and finds summer internships for outstanding penultimate year undergraduates from ethnic minority groups currently under-represented in the City. Big name firms such as Ashurst, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, Simmons & Simmons, Weil Gotshal & Manges and Winston & Strawn LLP sponsor the scheme, which also covers banks, professional services and technology and programming. The non-profit organisation has an impressive success rate: 80% of SEO interns eventually secure a full-time position with a sponsoring firm. Corporate law interns have access to senior partners at all sponsoring firms, can complete multiple placements, receive more than 60 hours of training and will be allocated a personal mentor. For more information and to apply for the scheme, visit the website here.

Work experience for pupils from low income backgrounds
Social Mobility Foundation (SMF)
An ambitiously broad, innovative charity that seeks to place high-achieving A-level students from low income backgrounds in placements with major private and public sector institutions. Geoffrey Vos QC, chairman of the group, says the SMF tries to “find ways of bridging the gap between clever students from poor background becoming interested in achieving a high-level career, and actually getting into that high-level career”. Sponsors include top law firms such as Clifford Chance and Denton Wilde Sapte. To download an application form or for information, visit the website here. In conjunction with the SMF, The Brightside Trust runs a programme called Legal Futures which matches A-level students from non-privileged backgrounds with a practising solicitor or barrister who acts as a mentor. For more information, click here.

Careers info for all school pupils and legal work experience for undergrads
Black Lawyers’ Directory (BLD)
Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Lawyers
Legal Launch Pad
Non-practising solicitor Debo Nwauzu founded BLD in 2006 to promote diversity within the legal profession and provide a forum for networking. BLD currently has two initiatives for young people within its Legal Gateway Scheme. The Today's Children, Tomorrow's Lawyers programme delivers valuable careers information via vodcasts (video podcasts) about the law to school pupils - primarily those from ethnic minorities, but all children can benefit. The vodcasts are available online here." Students from selected schools across the country also participate in at least one of the following: career day workshop; debate with another school/group of schools; visit to a law school, firm, set of chambers or major bank; summer school; or work placement (for a very limited number of students). Law and non-law undergraduates benefit from the Legal Launch Pad programme. The selected students attend various training sessions that include mock interviews and at least one week's work experience at a sponsoring organisation. For more information, visit the website here. Sponsors of the Legal Gateway Programme include: A&O, Barclays, Beachcroft, Berwin Leighton Paisner, BPP Law School, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, No5 Chambers, Olswang, Shoosmiths, Slaughter and May, and White & Case. The selected students attend various training sessions that include mock interviews and at least one week’s work experience at a sponsoring organisation. For more information, visit the website here.

Employment and work experience for students and graduates with disabilities
The Shaw Trust – Employer & Graduate Services Programme The Shaw Trust is a national charity which supports people with disabilities and/or from a disadvantaged background on their journey to employment. The Employer & Graduate Services Programme supports students and graduates with disabilities to find appropriate work experience and employment. It works in partnership with employers to help provide a level playing field throughout the recruitment process for students with disabilities. It has worked with several major law firms, including K&L Gates and Eversheds, in relation to their vacation schemes and training contracts. It also runs workshops with other big law firms, giving an insight into careers in law for students with disabilities. If you are interested in finding out more about the programmes and other opportunities, please visit the website here.