Browne Jacobson welcomes cohort of work experience students from Law Society’s social diversity scholarship

Browne Jacobson is continuing with its efforts to address fairer access and diversity within the legal profession, with the appointment of six work experience students who are currently part of the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS).

The students will begin their week-long work experience placement across multiple specialist legal practices across Browne Jacobson’s five offices.

DAS is a scholarship initiative launched by the Law Society in 2004 to break down barriers within the legal profession, offering Legal Practice Course (LPC) bursary funding, mentoring support and work experience to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

During their paid for placement at the firm this week, the students will be supported by a dedicated mentee, gain real insight into the legal sector culture, commercial awareness and will be exposed to the firm’s diverse sector offering and some of the firm’s broad client portfolio which includes blue chip corporates, local and owner managed businesses, NHS trusts, major insurers, education and public sector organisations.

Browne Jacobson will also welcome a further 18 work experience students via its various other career initiatives, including its FAIRE (Fairer Access into Real Experience) programme and its recently launched dedicated Black lawyers mentoring programme.

The firm is nationally recognised for its commitment to promoting greater diversity and inclusion throughout the legal profession whilst improving its own diversity make up, at all levels, remains a key strategic priority.

Suki Tonks, partner at Browne Jacobson and one of the firm’s sponsors for social mobility said: “Since its launch, DAS has helped diversify the legal profession and opened it up to some really talented aspiring lawyers who because of their less advantaged backgrounds or educational inequalities may have missed out on key career opportunities without it. So, we are delighted to be further supporting this impactful and much needed initiative.

“We want to continue to help re-shape the legal profession and make the sector a more vibrant, accessible place to progress and valuable and meaningful work experience opportunities like this will be key to supporting that.”

Tom Lyas, Recruitment Manager at Browne Jacobson, added: It’s no secret that we remain hugely passionate about finding more innovative ways to attract future diverse talent.

“We are still very much on the journey to breaking down barriers in the legal profession.

“We are proud to further support the Law Society’s DAS students and offer students linked to our own talent programmes, this fantastic opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like to work in the legal profession and arm them with the support and tools they need to have a successful and meaningful start to their legal careers.”

Browne Jacobson health and social care lawyer, Lynette Wieland, is a social mobility ambassador at the Law Society. She came through the DAS scheme which helped to secure her an apprenticeship at the firm, which then led to a paralegal position and her later qualifying as a solicitor.

Browne Jacobson is the UK’s leading employer for social mobility according to the Social Mobility Employer Index 2021.