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Legal Professions and Social Mobility

Legal Professions and Social Mobility. Bridge Group Inaugural Seminar 10 November 2010 Richard de Friend. Agenda. “Mobility Significance” of Legal Professions College’s Role and Concerns Steps and Initiatives Responses to notified questions .

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Legal Professions and Social Mobility

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  1. Legal Professions and Social Mobility Bridge Group Inaugural Seminar 10 November 2010 Richard de Friend

  2. Agenda • “Mobility Significance” of Legal Professions • College’s Role and Concerns • Steps and Initiatives • Responses to notified questions

  3. Why legal professions might be particularly “mobility-sensitive” • Role of professions generally • Milburn agenda • Legal professions comparatively accessible • Entry conditions relatively flexible • Most especially re “academic disciplinary” requirements • US and (more recent UK) experience • Cautionary note: • Decreasing significance of “professional” qualification? • Already and possibly even more so after full implementation of 2007 Legal Services Act

  4. Why of particular concern to College of Law 1: Its Role • Charity • Under a Royal Charter • Devoted exclusively to legal education • De facto only to “post graduate” professional/ vocational education • Power to award own degrees from 2006 • Major “gateway” to profession • c50% of intending solicitors and c20-25% of intending barristers take “vocational stage” programmes with the College. • Highly diverse student body • See Table 4 in paper

  5. Why of particular concern to College of Law 2: Destinations and Diversity • Key Findings • Paper “Overview and Summary” • Concerning BUT… • Reflect market forces, and “rational” decision making rather than prejudice, eg: • Corporate sector (c50% of training contracts) and selection of “academic elite” • Smaller firms and “lateral hiring” + paralegals

  6. Steps and Initiatives1:Structural Changes • Most radical • Fusion of the two professions • Less radical • Fusion of qualification process up to end of vocational stage • Limited “qualification to practise” post vocational stage • Already being piloted • Introduction of “WBL” as Training Contract replacement/ addition • Particularly relevant to post “LSA” era

  7. Steps and Initiatives 2:Specialised Careers/Employability Services • Specialised guidance and know how • Recruitment • Work experience • Pro Bono • Mentoring scheme • Evidence of some success re “diversity factor” students • Training contract acquisition + • c90% of “Destinations Completers” obtain Law-related work

  8. Steps and Initiatives: 3Special Projects • Targeted @ minority ethnic students eg • Global Graduates • Black Lawyers Directory • Both combine know-how; mentoring; networking opportunities • Very well received by participants but relatively limited impact on acquisition of TCs etc • Pathways to Law • With Sutton Trust, 7 leading unis, c20 major law firms and Law Society • 375 “Year 12” students pa • Selected on basis of both academic and socio-economic criteria • Provision over Years 12 and 13 of • Specialised guidance (re Law & HE); • Work experience; • (e)-mentoring via Brightside Trust; • Annual summer school • Evaluation by ST + UCAS • Thus far 1st cohort only • Promising enough for funder to commit through to 2015 • But Impact of Browne ??

  9. Notified Questions • What action could be taken consistently across legal education and professional practice what would facilitate this? • Regional variations and thus a regional approach? • Lessons for ‘the professions’ generally eg • ‘Kite mark’ for HE/professions engagement? • How would it be implemented? • ‘Top 3’ (or however many is relevant) recommendations for encouraging realistic and fruitful collaborations between HEI and the professions?

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