A City firm associate has set up an organisation to provide free academic and careers advice to future solicitors, with a particular focus on undergraduates from backgrounds under-represented by the profession.

Aspiring Solicitors, which seeks to broaden diversity of the legal profession, is the brainchild of Chris White, who joined Norton Rose Fulbright's corporate department on qualification in 2010.

The initiative was set up independently of Norton Rose, and White is in late stage talks with a number of other firms looking to sponsor it. 

To meet its aims, Aspiring Solicitors is asking private practice firms and in-house teams to hold open days for universities outside of those from which top firms tend to recruit graduates.

The organisation has so far held talks with more than 36 universities with a view to appointing representatives to help promote each of its four areas of focus: pro-bono; commercial awareness; employability; and academics.

"You could say what I'm doing is addressing the gap between the PRIME initiative and the training contract stage," commented White. "It's going to revolutionise the legal graduate recruitment market; every affiliated law firm and in-house team will commit towards giving something back to the students."

PRIME is an organisation spearheaded by a number of law firms and in-house teams to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply for a career in the profession.

White, a graduate from the University of East Anglia, said he first started helping aspiring solicitors after finding the process of applying to law firms a daunting task as an undergraduate.

"As a first generation law student I discovered how difficult it was for me to get experience in the legal profession, let alone access it," said White. "I had no family contacts or friends in law and had to find my way on my own steam."

White says the initiative has already helped more than 1,500 undergraduates, and that he has personally assisted some 400 students independently by phone and email.

While Aspiring Solicitors seeks to support non-redbrick universities, White said he would not turn down the opportunity to help any solicitor who wanted assistance.