Lewis Silkin awarded Best Social Mobility Programme at the Managing Partners’ Forum Awards

Accolade recognises programme to support young people from underprivileged backgrounds

City law firm Lewis Silkin LLP has received the award for ‘Best Social Mobility Programme’ at the 2014 Awards for Management Excellence by the Managing Partners’ Forum. 

The firm was recognised for PRIME, its work experience scheme for six 17 to 18 year-olds – created in partnership with charity and recruitment agency Spearhead – that showcased the varied roles available to them within the firm part of the firm’s wider efforts to promote social mobility within the legal profession.

The programme was structured so that the teenagers were able to make the most of the week they spent with Lewis Silkin. Highlights included the young people gaining work experience in different departments, attending a speed networking event with the firm’s lawyers and listening to inspirational talks from staff.

At the end of the week, the participants gave presentations to the Lewis Silkin team showing them what they had learnt from their time with them. The majority of the young people expressed a desire to pursue a career in law and one of the candidates went on to apply for, and was subsequently offered, an administration role within one of the firm’s departments. He has now been with the firm for three months.

Penny Newman, Lewis Silkin’s Director of People & Knowledge, commented:

"We’re really proud to be recognised for our work to encourage a diverse range of people to enter the legal profession. We were aware when creating our work experience scheme that the participants had no knowledge of the workings of a law firm and very little insight into the legal career options available to them, which is why a wide range of people at our firm, from partner to business support level, worked hard to make them feel welcome and engaged. That one of our work-experience participants is now an employee is testament to the strength of the programme and to our commitment to widening access to the legal profession."

You can find out more about the Spear course and how it helps individuals on the website, and watch some of the participants talk about the impact Spear had on them in the following video.

Spear Stories - Damaris, Laura & Abigail from Resurgo Trust on Vimeo.

For more information please contact:

Mark Grant
Director of Business Development
Lewis Silkin
Tel: 020 7074 8226
Email: mark.grant@lewissilkin.com