Guaranteed training contracts on offer for two exceptional students

The Law Society has announced the awards on offer as part of its Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), which this year includes two guaranteed training contracts.

As in previous years, DAS provides financial assistance to exceptional students who face social, educational, financial or personal obstacles to qualification. In 2015 there are 10 standard DAS awards available; these include funding towards the Legal Practice Course (LPC) fees, work experience and the support of a professional mentor. The new ‘DAS PLUS’ award will allow one student all the benefits of the usual assistance and also a guaranteed training contract at an eligible law centre. Furthermore, there is the opportunity for DUS alumni to apply for a training contract with the Law Society’s in-house legal team at Chancery Lane. In light of the severe cuts that law centres have faced recently, many have had to drastically reduce their recruitment spend, including the offering of training contracts. The DAS PLUS award provides a valuable opportunity - albeit for one person - to develop a career in the social advice sector.

President of the Law Society, Andrew Caplen, commented: "A shortage of training contracts does make the legal profession a hard one to break into, but for many people applying to the Diversity Access Scheme, the prospect of getting on the LPC - never mind securing a contract - is incredibly remote due to the social and economic barriers they face. This is a depressing reality but one [that] we should not ignore. If you are talented and show great promise as a future member of the legal profession, we want to make sure you get a fighting chance. That is the rationale behind the Diversity Access Scheme."