Social Mobility Day 2026
Tuesday 9th June 2026
In 2026 at Gordons, we celebrate our 15th year since the launch of the UK’s first law apprenticeship scheme. An initiative borne out of our commitment to ensure a career in law is accessible to young people from all backgrounds.
This year, our senior legal apprentice Sophie Wilton has taken our scheme further with the launch of our first insight day for school pupils, working with Carr Manor Community School based in Moortown.
Working with the teachers at Carr Manor, we are delighted to have put together a fun and engaging ‘work experience day’ for willing pupils to come into the office and gain an insight into working at a law firm.
We were therefore very excited to welcome 15 pupils on Thursday 4 June, with a packed itinerary to immerse them into the world of professional services.
What happened on the day
After a warm welcome from partners and a tour of the offices where they met a wide range of teams from different service areas, they were set their first task, by the private client team.
The children were given the opportunity to ‘interview a client’ about their will and investigate their background and instructions.
They were then introduced to litigation and a dispute between Kylie Jenner and Kylie Minogue over who had the right to trademark “Kylie”. They were given the opportunity to act for either side of the debate or as a judge – and even tried on judge’s robes.
Finally, they took part in an employment tribunal where they learnt about the fictitious employee who had been stealing money out of the till at Gordons Grocers and was subsequently fired. They had to discuss whether he was unfairly dismissed.
We also discussed with them the trainee and apprenticeship routes into law, as well as an overview of other roles that exist within a law firm including IT, business development, administration and finance.
We had a fantastic day and it was great to hear the impact it made on the attendees.
We asked them about their experience…
Before today, what did you think working in a law firm was like?
- I thought it was going to be busy and people were going to look a certain type of way.
- I was slightly worried that being in an office environment might be too repetitive.
- I thought it was all paperwork or being in court.
- I thought it would be very serious, busy, loud and stressful, and demanding.
- I thought lawyers were in court dealing with criminals.
- Stressful and wouldn’t have time the time for work experience days when being so busy.
What do you think you have learned about working in a law firm?
- You can be from any background.
- It requires a wide ranges of skills.
- They all have varied different jobs – you’re not always in court with every position in law.
- Not every day is the same.
- There are many different departments.
- The workload can be fun if you have a passion for it.
What did you enjoy?
- Experiencing the world of work.
- Problem solving.
- Debating points in arguments and winning!
- Finding out how others became solicitors.
- Meeting the professional people and the advice about different routes.
- Being a judge.
- Looking at wills.
Overall…
- I really want to work here!
- Great help and advice.
- Helped me understand the different pathways.
- It has opened up many options.
- Gave me a real sense of what working in a law firm looks like and if I would like to do this in the future.
- Being a solicitor in private client is my main target.
- I loved it.
- The staff were really nice and chatty and sociable.
- Meeting different people was by far my favourite.
Our legal apprentice Sophie, who has lead on putting the day together along with partner Catherine Woodward said, ‘It was incredibly encouraging to see students from a wide range of backgrounds engaging so positively with the day and gaining first-hand insight into life at a law firm. Opportunities like this are so important in helping to break down the perceived barriers around the legal profession and challenging the idea that it is only accessible to certain groups.
What really stood out to me was the feedback at the end of the session, particularly from students who said they now feel their background does not limit their ambitions. It was also great to hear that the firm came across as welcoming and approachable, as this plays a key role in helping students feel like they belong in these spaces. I’m really pleased to see the months of planning and effort come together so successfully, and to know that it has made a meaningful difference.’
This is the first we hope of many future insight days, where we can make a meaningful difference to local children and inspire them to discover the opportunities available to them.’
Read more about our social mobility work here.
