PRIME Tenth Anniversary Conference

Connect with like-minded peers from the legal profession and leading figures in social mobility in our dedicated networking area.

Hear Patricia Christias, Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft in conversation with Sarah Macdonald, Chief Legal Officer at KFC as they explore the client perspective on social mobility and what their law firms can contribute towards it.

Our panel discuss the past, present and future of social mobility, identifying challenges and opportunities for law firms. They will investigate questions including:
• What’s changed in social mobility in the last ten years?
• Should firms still focus on outreach?
• What might be the long-term impact of Covid on students from less privileged backgrounds?
• What can firms do to make sure PRIME and organisations like it are not
needed in future?

Panellists:
• Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive, The Social Mobility Foundation
• Nick Scott, Managing Partner, Brodies LLP
• Sana Shafi, Co-founder, Strive
• Arun Sohan-Pall, Trainee Solicitor, Kirkland & Ellis
• James Turner, Chief Executive, The Sutton Trust
• Sandra Wallace, Co-chair, Social Mobility Commission

Connect with like-minded peers from the legal profession and leading figures in social mobility in our dedicated networking area.

You can also see information from some of our partners in our market place:
MyKindaFuture
The AS Foundation
The Brokerage
Zero Gravity and
Breaking Barriers

We return to Toni Kent.

Explore the practical steps we can take to address social mobility through a choice of four breakout sessions:

Breakout Session A – What will work experience look like in a post-pandemic
world?

Facilitators: Katie Noonan, Forage and Deborah McCormack, Pinsent Masons

The pandemic forced law firms to rethink their work experience programmes at pace. The creation of virtual work experience has brought benefits in the form of increased reach to students and reduced costs. But, what makes a successful virtual work experience programme? Can a virtual experience ever replace face-to-face? And, as we navigate our way through this pandemic, what will work experience look like in the future? Join this session to share successes and challenges and explore potential solutions.

Breakout Session B – Selection: Fair and equal?

Facilitators: Naomi Kellman, Rare and Jen Baird, Hogan Lovells

Selection techniques have come a long way in the past few years, giving firms more choice in how they recruit fairly. In this session, we’ll discuss:

• Defining and finding the right qualities in candidates.
• The different selection techniques available. For example contextual recruitment and mock negotiations.
• Adapting your recruitment process to ensure a level playing field.

Breakout Session C – How do you reach the right students?

Facilitators: Chris White, Aspiring Solicitors and Tim Smith, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP (BCLP)
With perspectives from: Georgia Elliott, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP and Brigitte Ngowi, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

When it comes to finding the most talented individuals, are the traditional routes still the best? In this session, we’ll discuss the different routes into the profession, challenge our views on those routes, and explore how firms can tap into the best talent.

Breakout Session D – Progression: How do you create the right environment for success?

Facilitators: Simon Reichwald, Connectr (formerly MyKindaFuture) and Nik Miller, The Bridge Group

Having invested in outreach and recruitment, the next challenge is progression. Retaining and developing candidates from less privileged backgrounds is essential if diversity is to be achieved at the highest levels of our profession. In this session, we’ll look at the different techniques and considerations involved in creating the right support and environment for success, from mentoring and sponsoring to work allocation and workplace culture.

Connect with like-minded peers from the legal profession and leading figures in social mobility in our dedicated networking area.

You can also see information from some of our partners in our market place:
MyKindaFuture
The AS Foundation
The Brokerage
Zero Gravity and
Breaking Barriers