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Leading sets sign up to bar social mobility scheme

Mary - they have have not been lifted up the social ladder at all if they are then typecast and overlooked simply by virtue of where they went to school, when in fact on leaving that school they are still in need of assistance because they still don't have the financial means and advantages of their more affluent competitors. For example, how should such a person make themselves available to attend 2 week law firm summer placements when they need a full time job over the whole summer to help fund themselves through university? I don't think you can say people have truly been lifted up the ladder until the goal (qualifiying as a lawyer or whatever it may be) has been achieved. While I accept that a little progress may have been made if such a person achieves good A Levels, this is surely only the start of the process. As an aside, I also think it is important to try and change attitudes also need to be changed towards those who have worked before law school to save up, or who have carried out the study over a much longer period through distance learning while they work full time. Hardly any of these "mature students" seem to gain places at the top sets or law firms, although you do come across plenty of trainees who have never had a proper job before, but have had the opportuntity to pay a few thousand to do charity work in some exotic location or, to quote a widely reported recent example, to go on rugby tours in the Middle East. I am being a bit facetious and these are of course worthy CV-enhancing activities, but still completely out of reach of the type of students who are the focus of this article - once they have left whichever school they went to.

13-Mar-2012

1:03 pm