Institution set to become first university to sign up to scheme

The University of Oxford is set to become the first higher education provider to join forces with PRIME, as the law-firm backed venture aimed at boosting access to the legal profession prepares to increase the number of in-house legal teams signed up. 

The university has set up a working group to consider how it can get involved with the social mobility scheme, with options including linking PRIME students with its academics, and organising sessions and conferences for the scheme's participants.

Oxford also wants to help PRIME raise awareness of further education opportunities in law during and after law firm work experience places.

PRIME, which has roughly 90 law firms in the UK signed up, sees participating firms commit to providing an annual number of work experience placements equivalent to half their annual trainee intake to disadvantaged school children. PRIME's current target is to provide and support 2,500 quality work experience placements at its partner law firms by 2015.

The university's working group looking at PRIME is being led by Law School dean Timothy Endicott and director of development Maureen O'Neill.

"The University of Oxford continues its commitment to find the brightest students from a wide range of backgrounds," said O'Neill. "Working together with PRIME and other universities in widening participation offers an excellent framework that will hopefully influence the legal profession for years to come."

Separately, PRIME broadened its offering to several in-house legal teams last year, with businesses including Yahoo!, Vodafone and Lloyds Banking Group signing up in partnership with their external advisers. 

The organisation is now aiming to expand this further, with Clifford Chance last month hosting an event on how in-house teams can support PRIME. A number of new client-firm partnerships are expected to be announced imminently.