Law Firms & In-House Teams

• PRIME does not endorse friends and family of members of the firm, neighbours, clients, close contacts and similar (“friends and family”) joining PRIME programmes. This is because friends and family of law firm members already have privileged access to the profession through those relationships. We therefore request that PRIME programmes offered by your firms are only available to those that meet the PRIME criteria;

• The only exception to this would be contacts made through outreach and community programmes as part of a firm’s citizenship commitments. If these contacts fall into the PRIME target age group and fulfill the other PRIME eligibility criteria, they could apply for firms’ PRIME programmes through the usual formal channels;

• PRIME recognises that member firms will receive requests from time to time from friends and family asking for informal legal work experience and that these requests will need to be responded to fairly and respecting the importance of those relationships. Therefore, firms may wish to consider ways in which some existing member firms deal with these requests which includes hosting separate open days during the summer holidays. Please note that PRIME cannot offer advice or support for such sessions, although Su Brailey at: [email protected] can connect you with contacts at member firms who run these programmes so you can share ideas that may be appropriate for your firm;

• PRIME recognises that for smaller firms, with fewer internal HR and graduate recruitment resources, running multiple programmes can be challenging. We would still strongly request not mixing PRIME eligible students with friends and family. PRIME participants can very understandably feel that firms are only paying lip service to social mobility and by mixing the two groups reputational damage will occur to the firm and PRIME.

As well as providing financial assistance by pre-purchasing lunch and travel tickets for students, a number of our member firms are now also offering payment to their PRIME students. PRIME welcomes this initiative, which responds to the fact that some young people might have to forego essential paid vacation work in order to attend a work experience scheme.

We ask our member firms, where possible, to provide students with payment thus removing this barrier for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

If you require your students to wear business attire to their work experience, consider carefully if this might be a barrier which could exclude them from participating. It would be best practice to provide financial assistance to enable them to purchase the relevant clothing.

During the pandemic, PRIME member firms responded to the changing landscape by adapting their work experience programmes to be online, ensuring that students didn’t miss out on the opportunity. Over time, these moved to being a mix of in-person and online.

One of the lasting effects has been that many businesses, law firms included, still operate a hybrid working pattern. It is inevitable therefore that some firms have asked whether their PRIME work experience programmes can continue to be delivered in this way.

The gold standard will always be to have students in the office for a full week (or equivalent hours) but if your firm operates a hybrid working pattern then it makes sense for your PRIME work experience students to mirror this.

We know that a virtual programme will never replace the magic for a young person of walking into a law firm for the first time and what that does for raising their aspirations and building their confidence. So, if a firm adopts a hybrid approach, we ask them to ensure that the in-person element remains front and centre.

Consider what tasks students are given for the at-home element, ensuring that they are meaningful. There should also be continued support and interaction with the firm on these days. The sequence of the different days is important. It would be more impactful to start with an in-person day or two so that students develop a rapport with each other and therefore feel more comfortable on camera on the other days. Ending with an in-person day is also an effective way to finish the programme, you could ask them to present back a task they have been working on at home.

If you are unable to host students for the entire programme, a hybrid approach is not the only alternative. You could collaborate with a client, arranging for the students to spend a day with them. This is a session that students often regard as one of the highlights, being given the opportunity to experience a different part of the legal profession.

PRIME encourages its member firms to provide general information to their PRIME participants about educational requirements for entry to a career in law. The advice should be given on relevant pages of their careers or diversity and inclusion websites and at PRIME events. The information should include all options individual firms use for careers in law at their firm including, for example: apprenticeships, vocational learning as well as university degree.  In this section PRIME focuses on university choices specifically.

Guidance on university choices:

On your website pages and at PRIME events:

• PRIME recommends member firms feature alumni from their firms who come from a wide range of universities (a good balance of Russell Group and Non-Russell Group). These should be website profiles of former PRIME alumni or PRIME eligible future/current trainees.  These individuals should also be chosen as representatives attending PRIME events so they can act as role models and provide first-hand experience of the university attended;
• The website profiles should include information about the trainee’s thinking between the ages of 16-18 and how they chose their university path, rather than apprentice or vocational which they may have considered;
• which university they chose and why;
• their experience of that university in terms of contact with law firm employers, assistance from careers services and student law society employer events;
• firms should also provide clear information in their publicity, and at events, about their entry requirements (for example: use of contextual recruitment/blind screening and interviewing);
• firms should also explain how flexible they are about students who are not straight A students if they are not already using contextual recruitment or blind screening;
• firms should make it clear what skills and abilities they look for and why these are relevant to a career in law. Selection criteria and language used should focus on skills and abilities relevant to the role of a junior lawyer with the potential for development.  Try to avoid unspecific language like ‘should have polish’ and focus more on past experiences (working in supermarkets, shops and restaurants) where example of client care and clear communication can be proven with the candidate giving examples;
• If your firm has strong links with universities they could be asked to provide a profile for your website, or to get involved with your PRIME programme. Giving your PRIME participants early access to universities can be highly beneficial.  Academic contacts may also be prepared to provide quotes for your PRIME publicity.

Current research and data on UK universities and their social mobility profile

The Sutton Trust, in association with the Department of Education and Institute of Fiscal Studies has undertaken some research into the UK universities with the highest levels of socially mobile students.  The link to the research is featured below for your review and to help with you with targeting universities and sourcing a rich seam of socially mobile students:

The Sutton Trust: Universities and Social Mobility – Data Explorer

IFS: which university degrees are best for intergenerational social mobility?

Partner with a school
You could seek schools in ‘cold spots’ that will benefit most from your support, while at the same time having the resources to manage the partnership. Most firms target schools that have a high proportion of students eligible for FSM. If you want to do your own research into schools in a borough local to your offices, a useful website is the DfE’s school profile site where you can look up FSM and pupil premium status to help you target disadvantaged students.

Work with a charity partner
There are many out there who who broker school-business relationships and could help. A current selection is in the Prime Partners Section.

Speak to your local council
Your local council may have a team who can support you in linking up.