About Aspiring Solicitors
Aspiring Solicitors is a UK-based organisation dedicated to increasing diversity and social mobility within the legal profession. We are committed to helping individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including care leavers, access and succeed in the legal profession. Through partnerships with top law firms and companies, we offer tailored opportunities designed to help diverse candidates thrive.
Our Values
- Commitment: Dedication to our mission, vision, members, and partners.
- Unity: Embracing differences to create strength and achieve meritocracy.
- Promote Difference: Championing diversity and inclusion at all times.
- Authenticity: Genuinely striving to remove discrimination and prejudice.
- Respect: Treating others as we would want to be treated.
- Impatience for Change: Driving progress and rejecting discrimination without delay.
Our Offer for Care Leavers
We provide a comprehensive range of support in three key areas to help care leavers achieve their aspirations in the legal sector.
- Access to Career Advocacy and Guidance
- Free Membership: Join Aspiring Solicitors for free and gain access to all our services, events, and resources.
- Legal Career Guidance: Receive support with applications, CVs, interviews, and identifying legal career pathways.
- Networking Opportunities: Meet legal professionals, graduate recruiters, and trainees at our events and law fairs to build valuable connections.
- Participation for development
- Workshops and Events: Participate in workshops covering commercial awareness, legal writing, and interview preparation.
- Commercial Awareness Competition: Showcase your knowledge, develop presentation skills, and stand out to potential employers.
- Coaching: Access one-to-one career coaching from qualified legal professionals to build confidence, refine your goals, and differentiate yourself.
- Work Experience and Mentoring
- Work Experience: Gain hands-on experience through placements with leading law firms, Magic Circle firms, and in-house legal teams at companies like Barclays and Meta. Benefits include:
- Boosting your CV with corporate experience.
- Gaining insights into the legal industry and work environments.
- Building professional networks.
- Mentoring: Join exclusive mentoring programmes led by legal professionals, helping you gain insider perspectives, build networks, and improve commercial awareness.
Our Key Programmes and Services
Coaching – Receive personalised guidance from our expert coaches, all with legal backgrounds and professional coaching qualifications. Coaching helps care leavers to:
- Build self-confidence and self-worth.
- Develop a clear route to achieving career goals.
- Learn how to stand out in a competitive field.
Mentoring – Gain invaluable insights through tailored mentoring schemes with top law firms and legal teams. Mentors provide career advice, insider knowledge, and guidance to help you succeed.
Work Experience – Take part in one-week placements at leading law firms and in-house legal teams across industries such as Formula 1, social media platforms, and global banks. Placements provide:
- Real-world legal experience.
- A chance to demonstrate your skills to potential employers.
- Opportunities to explore different legal practice areas.
Events – Attend career-boosting events with diversity-focused employers. Events include:
- Networking opportunities with lawyers, recruiters, and trainees.
- Law fairs designed to help you explore career options and meet employers.
- Interactive sessions that showcase your value to the legal profession.
