Yahoo!, Vodafone and Lloyds among companies pairing up with law firms for work experience scheme

Yahoo!, Vodafone, Lloyds Banking Group and the Financial Times are among a number of big-name businesses signing up to social mobility scheme PRIME, as in-house legal teams get on board the much-touted diversity initiative.

The move will see companies pair up with law firms to offer PRIME students an insight into in-house life alongside law firm work experience, in an effort to broaden the initiative beyond private practice.

Yahoo! will partner with Bird & Bird, Lloyds with Allen & Overy (A&O), Herbert Smith with the FT and Hogan Lovells with Vodafone initially, although these relationships will not be exclusive. 

Meanwhile, Baker & McKenzie has entered into a partnership with Google, Olswang with Microsoft, Taylor Wessing with the Press Association and Brodies with Virgin Money.

In the main, the companies will take on students for around a day or two of their work experience period, during which time they will be introduced to the organisation and complete activities such as mock deals or projects to simulate real life examples.

A number of in-house legal teams have expressed an interest in participating in the PRIME scheme, with the majority taking the view that it would be more feasible to team up with law firms than offer work experience independently. 

A&O diversity manager Jane Masey said: "Following the launch of PRIME last year, we were approached by a number of in-house legal teams expressing interest in how they could get involved. After much discussion, it became clear that in-house teams could really enhance the experience for participants by setting up a work experience partnership with a PRIME law firm. 

"The advantage of having in-house teams involved is that the insight and experience gained by the students is much broader. I'm sure many students won't have considered the possibility of a legal career at Yahoo! or Lloyds before, and, because of how high-profile many of these brands are, I'm sure that would be really attractive to them."

As part of the PRIME commitment, participating in-house teams have signed up to four key principles: to ensure the work experience helps students to develop at least one key skill from team working, communication, presentation, negotiation and networking; that activities must increase knowledge of the organisation and make participants aware of available careers; that there must be an opportunity to meet both legal and non-legal staff at the organisation; and that companies must provide any necessary financial assistance in terms of travel and refreshments.

Speaking at a Legal Week conference last week, Yahoo! senior legal director Manu Kanwar said: "In-house lawyers are just as aware of the social constraints to a career in law as private practice, and hopefully through these partnerships we can create opportunities for young people who may not have previously considered careers in law – or perhaps even in business."

The news follows the appointment of A&O senior partner David Morley as chair of a new board to oversee PRIME last month, alongside a raft of senior names from the UK's largest law firms, including Addleshaw Goddard senior partner Monica Burch.

The decision to appoint a board comes as PRIME gears up for its first annual review later this year, carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research, to ensure member firms are meeting their stated goals. More than 80 law firms are now signed up to the scheme.

Click here for more on the FT's involvement in PRIME from GC Tim Bratton.