Social Inclusion & Mobility

We recognise that entering the legal profession is not easy, especially for students who identify as coming from low socio-economic backgrounds, and we are committed to widening access to the legal sector and careers at Ashurst through a range of programmes and initiatives.

Access Ashurst is our flagship social mobility programme in the UK and is based on the principles of PRIME. The programme aims to improve socio-economic diversity within Ashurst and the legal sector. Every year we provide Year 12 students from across the UK access to a programme of paid work experience, skills workshops and mentoring support. This programme is just one example of the many social inclusion and mobility programmes we run globally.

Access Ashurst: Programme Insights

Watch this short video to learn more about Access Ashurst and the positive impacts that the programme has had.

Programme highlights

Since 2011, we have welcomed over 300 students to our London office, as part of the programme.

We work in partnership with charities, social enterprises and schools to reach students most in need of the opportunity.

Students have joined us from over 90 different schools from across London and other parts of the UK.

Each year over 200 volunteers from Ashurst and our clients take part the programme, sharing their skills, experience and guidance.

• Awarded Recruitment Programme of the Year at the UK Social Mobility Awards 2020.

• Awarded Best Social Mobility Initiative at the People in Law Awards 2021.

In 2021, we became one of the first law firms to commit to paying our Access Ashurst students the London Living Wage, recognising the challenge that unpaid work experience poses for students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Read more here.

In 2021 and 2022, we welcomed two Access Ashurst alumni to the London office as Solicitor Apprentices.

In 2022, we launched our Access Ashurst Award which supports Access Ashurst alumni with the cost of studying at university.