Manchester law firm Browne Jacobson has extended its joint mentoring scheme with Manchester Metropolitan’s Law School, as the firm continues its mission to tackle socio-economic disadvantage in the legal profession.
The pioneering initiative, which was successfully piloted in 2015, has been extremely well received since its inception with students from across all years of the University’s LLB programme applying. The scheme was highly commended in last year’s Manchester Legal awards and shortlisted in the 2017 ENEI and UK Social Mobility Awards.
The scheme, which is delivered by qualified lawyers and members of the firm’s HR team, is aimed at preparing students from disadvantaged backgrounds for a career in law by providing dedicated mentoring support they would otherwise not have access to.
This year, 13 new law undergraduates have been selected to take part in the scheme. These new mentees will be matched with the right mentors at Browne Jacobson who will share their experiences and act as career counsellors to help mentees achieve their full potential during crucial stages of becoming a newly qualified solicitor.
The programme will also deliver CV and assessment centre workshops as well as guest lectures for core modules on topics such as resilience to help develop key employability skills and competencies needed in today’s labour market.
Nichola Evans, partner and architect of the scheme, said: “Social mobility in the legal profession has changed little in over 30 years and Browne Jacobson is strongly committed to addressing this issue. The feedback from the last two schemes has been very positive, and we are already starting to see the impact the initiative is having in widening access and opportunities in the legal profession. We are pleased that we can continue to offer this scheme and look forward to working with Manchester Metropolitan University to build on our success as we continue to champion social mobility.”
Catherine Little, Head of Manchester Law School, said: “The support and commitment from Browne Jacobson has been invaluable in bridging the social and cultural gap that can be a barrier for some of our students. The robust scheme has been extremely well received and will no doubt impact our students’ lives as they progress in their career.”
