Aspiring Solicitors Foundation reveals founder members ahead of drive to increase diversity in profession

The social mobility charity Aspiring Solicitors Foundation has secured a number of leading law firms and companies as founder members ahead of the foundation’s formal launch in January 2020.

AS Foundation will provide financial assistance to young people looking to enter the legal profession, removing financial barriers to careers in law through scholarships and support for travel, workwear and equipment costs. The ultimate aim of the charity is to increase diversity in the legal profession.

The founding members of the AS Foundation are:

• Allen & Overy;
• Aspiring Solicitors
• Barclays;
• BPP Law School;
• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner;
• Dechert;
• DWF Group Plc;
• Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson (London) LLP
• Lawyer Talent Network;
• Mayer Brown International LLP
• Norton Rose Fulbright;
• RPC;
• Travers Smith; and
• XTX Markets.

Chris White, AS Foundation founder and chair of the charity’s trustees, said: “A career in the legal profession is often seen as an impossible dream by those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, no matter how strong their drive, dedication, and positivity.

“Typically, their only route into the profession is through travelling to and attending expensive legal events, or by completing work experience placements that may not pay them enough to support everyday commitments. Our ambition at the AS Foundation is to remove financial barriers that smart, ambitious, and energised young people can face when considering a career in law.”