For Lawyers

Everyone can access law - because we're all involved.

When it comes to making real social change, it takes a huge effort. Not just one voice or one action, but a whole movement making a long-term commitment.

With 60+ firms onboard so far, we’re well on our way. Together, our mission is clear: to give young people from underprivileged backgrounds the chance to excel in the legal profession.

But there’s still more to do. Although some law firms run their own schemes, and our own work experience offering is growing all the time, there are still young people falling through the cracks; talented young minds who feel excluded from the world of law.

It’s time to help change that.

Key facts

All kinds of businesses can help. Both law firms and organisations with in-house legal departments can sign up.
You’ll be joining good company. Our members included all top 20 of the largest UK firms by revenue, as well as firms across the UK.

I represent a law firm:
how can I get involved?

Make sure you can commit

Every firm involved in PRIME makes what we call the PRIME Commitment. It’s how we make sure we’re offering the right quality of experience across all placements, so you’ll only be able to sign up if you’re able to make that commitment.

Get in touch

If you can commit and you want to be part of PRIME, the next step is to sign up and register your interest.

Start offering work experience

Maybe you already offer work experience. Maybe you don’t, and this is when you’ll set it up. Either way, once you’re a member of PRIME, you can start advertising your work experience through us. You’ll become one of our profiled firms and students, parents and teachers will be able to find you via our experience finder tool.

I represent an in-house legal team:
how can I get involved?

1
Identify a firm or firms you’d like to work with – they should be a PRIME signatory law firm – and establish a partnership. It might be a firm who have your business on their client roster, for instance.
2
Agree the nature of the work experience programme and exactly how you’ll be involved. Plan activities that will develop the students’ skills, increase their knowledge of careers at your organisation, and allow them to meet your colleagues (both legal and business).
3
Once you’ve set up your partnership with a PRIME signatory law firm, you can now publicise your involvement in PRIME.

The PRIME Commitment and best practice

Every student who finds work experience via PRIME should be given the same chance to succeed. That means offering a certain quality of experience no matter the firm they go to, and it means setting the same level of access across the board. That’s why we came up with the PRIME Commitment. There might be some slight adjustments to your criteria – for instance, you might only accept students at year 12 and above, rather than at Year 9 – but in general, these are the rules you’ll commit to.
We've also provided a set of best practice guidelines to help you on your PRIME commitment journey, you can download these below...

Download PDF arrow to click for download

Time to sign up

Whether you’re from a law firm or from an in-house legal department, you can sign up using the form below. If you’re a law firm with more than one office, we’d ask you to enter the details for each office that will provide UK work experience. You don’t need to mention offices where you won’t be running your programme.
Sign up now

No more than 50 words

Address of office where work experience will take place

Basic outline of programme – how long it lasts, is it residential, what will they do – bullet points, 50-150 words max

Is it throughout the year, once a year, are there specific dates

What are the specific criteria for your programme? Is there anything that’s different we should be aware of? Do you give any special consideration when it comes to family background and circumstances? Bullet points would be ideal here.

A rough idea of numbers, and number of intakes if applicable

A specific email address or online application form for young people to get in touch – this should not be a link to a corporate homepage or CSR page, since young people may not be able to easily navigate a firm’s corporate website. If you can only apply through a charity, i.e. the Sutton Trust, then we should also say that, and we’ll give a specific contact or application page for them here.

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