The rise of the work placement has made it even more difficult for poorer youngsters to break into the legal profession. James Boxell attended a DLA Piper PRIME diversity week to see whether the scheme could help address the problem

As someone whose mother is a teaching assistant and whose father is "basically AWOL", Georgia Stores is a good person to ask about what is more likely to stop her becoming a high-flying corporate lawyer: being working class or being female.

After a pause to consider her answer, this bright and personable student at the Islington 6th Form Consortium in north London says: "Class is a bigger barrier than being a woman. I think there has been progress on women, but the biggest barrier for someone like me is expectation."