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.

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, Eversheds, Herbert Smith, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, 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: more than 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.

Social Mobility Foundation (SMF)
An ambitiously broad, innovative charity, SMF 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, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters. To download an application form or for more information, visit the website.

Black Lawyers’ Directory (BLD)
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, The College of Law 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.

Business Compact
In April 2011 a government-initiated, social mobility initiative entitled "Opening doors, breaking down barriers" was announced, promising to offer internships (or work placement places) to young people from deprived backgrounds. Allen & Overy was the first firm to sign up to the Business Compact. In January 2012 it was joined by nine others: Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst, Baker & McKenzie, CMS Cameron McKenna, Eversheds, Hogan Lovells, Irwin Mitchell, Norton Rose and Simmons & Simmons. The Bar Council and Legal Services Board are also members. You can read more about the strategy here.

Pathways to Law
Pathways to Law is an initiative to provide opportunities for students from state schools who are interested in a career in law and will be first generation attendees at university. Established by The College of Law and The Sutton Trust, the programme targets students from under-represented backgrounds and provides support throughout years 12 and 13, and beyond to university. Sponsors include A&O, Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Eversheds, DLA Piper, Hogan Lovells, Mayer Brown, and Simmons & Simmons. A number of prestigious universities are also partners of the scheme.

PRIME
As of September 2011, 23 major UK law firms including Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith, Linklaters, Norton Rose, and Slaughter and May signed up to a new work experience project designed to boost social mobility in the legal profession. PRIME offers legal work experience to underprivileged state school children aged 14-18. Founder member firms include Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper, Eversheds and Pinsent Masons.

AccessProfessions
This organisation aims to bring "aspiration-raising opportunities together in a single place". The idea is that you register your details, and then you'll be notified when new opportunities become available from leading universities, businesses and others. A&O and Slaughter and May are among the sponsors.

City Solicitors' Educational Trust
The City Solicitors' Educational Trust (CSET) is an educational charitable trust funded by City law firms which wish to act collectively for the benefit of the wider legal profession. In previous years, it has run a summer school, designed to identify and encourage university students from a diverse range of backgrounds to consider a career in the law. The residential summer school was a skills and training event, which also provided business and social networking opportunities. Students met senior representatives and graduates from leading law firms, as well as visiting the firms' offices. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, the summer school is not running in 2012. However, CSET is currently developing a proposal which would involve mentoring by individual solicitors of students wishing to join the legal profession. For more information, visit www.cset.org.uk.

Other schemes/organisations include:

BrightsideUNIAID
www.brightsideuniaid.org

Law Society Diversity Access Scheme
www.lawsociety.org.uk/aboutlawsociety/charity/das.page

Shaw Trust
www.shaw-trust.org.uk/home

The Sutton Trust
www.suttontrust.com/home

No Bar to the Bar
www.become-a-barrister.com