PRIME scheme set to expand as raft of firms pledge to sign up

PRIME, the ground-breaking social mobility initiative launched by 23 major law firms earlier this month, looks set to be expanded to include the London offices of several leading US firms, with White & Case and Shearman & Sterling among those lining up to get involved.

Fellow transatlantic firms Mayer Brown and Baker & McKenzie are also hoping to sign up, with other US firms considering the move including Reed Smith.

Legal Week research reveals that roughly three-quarters of the top 50 UK firms that did not join the scheme at the launch stage are now actively considering the profession-wide project, which sees those involved commit to providing a minimum number of work experience places each year to under-privileged children in a bid to improve diversity.

Squire Sanders Hammonds, Macfarlanes, Hill Dickinson, Mills & Reeve and Gateley all plan to sign up to the initiative, which at launch included 19 top 50 UK law firms as well as a handful of Irish firms and smaller UK players.

Participating firms must provide an annual number of work experience placements to eligible students that is equivalent to 50% of their trainee intake and share some of the costs of the venture.

Additionally, other UK firms considering joining PRIME include Simmons & Simmons, SJ Berwin, Irwin Mitchell, Beachcroft, Nabarro, Holman Fenwick Willan, Stephenson Harwood, Withers, Field Fisher Waterhouse, Taylor Wessing, Osborne Clarke, Watson Farley & Williams, Berrymans, Travers Smith, Burges Salmon and Charles Russell.

Five firms – Clyde & Co, Wragge & Co, Kennedys, Olswang and Shoosmiths – are opting out of the scheme for now on the grounds that it conflicts with existing in-house diversity initiatives.

Shearman head of human resources Lois Gordon commented: "We will be speaking to [the organisers] to discuss our options. It would be good to get US-headquartered law firms to make a similar commitment and improve access to work experience."

Macfarlanes head of diversity and inclusion Nicola Richards said: "The PRIME initiative is much needed. The profession has a collective responsibility to ensure that the process of selecting tomorrow's lawyers is a fair one."

The founding firms hope to provide around 2,500 work experience places a year to state school children from disadvantaged backgrounds 
by 2015.

Click here to visit the PRIME website.

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