How you and your organisation can support the Diversity Access Scheme

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The legal profession has worked hard to see significant improvements in removing the barriers to entry, particularly when it comes to social mobility. By basing decisions on skill and merit rather than background, we have seen a more diversified sector. There are still further opportunities available to continue this success and make law careers even more accessible.

Diversity Access Scheme

The Diversity Access Scheme helps tenacious, talented aspiring solicitors to pursue their legal education and careers, despite financial or social barriers.

With the number of applications growing year on year, our aim is to be able to offer this scheme to even more people who, without it, may never get to become solicitors.

The Diversity Access Scheme awards scholarships each year which include:

  • a scholarship to fund their Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) assessments and preparation courses
  • work experience
  • mentoring support

We are currently able to offer 10 awards under the scheme with thanks to universities which provide placements to awardees of the scheme and to our members who contribute to, or fully fund, the tuition fees.

How you can support the scheme

We want to give this opportunity to as many students as we can, but we need your help to make this happen.

If your organisation would like to support the scheme, you can:

  • make a financial contribution towards fees associated with completing the LPC or SQE
  • offer a work placement at your organisation
  • mentor a student from the scheme within a particular area of law

Email diversityaccessscheme@lawsociety.org.uk for more information on how to get involved.

Feedback from DAS sponsors

During 2021, we carried out a review of DAS, to assess its impact over the past 16 years and whether the scheme is working in terms of its criteria and processes.

The review included evaluation interviews with existing sponsors.

Explore our review of the scheme

All our sponsors said they would all recommend DAS to other firms, due to a combination of:

  • excellent candidates
  • the reputation of the Law Society
  • little-to-no administrative burden on the sponsors
  • a rigorous application process managed by experts

The combination of a strong eligibility criteria – that is inclusive and flexible – with a rigorous application process meant the sponsors were confident that DAS receives high-quality candidates that are deserving of financial and other career support.

What our sponsors say

  • “It’s a shame people are out there, unable to access a legal career because of their backgrounds. The DAS creates opportunities for people who may never have ended up in the profession.”
  • “DAS takes on incredible students with incredible stories… the students are extremely high quality.”
  • “The Law Society does all the hard work in managing the administrative burden of running the scheme, so the sponsors don’t have to.”
  • “There is an excellent mix of well-qualified people involved throughout the whole application process.”

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