Leading the way in social mobility

Gordons has always been passionate about creating opportunities for bright individuals who demonstrate potential and possess a keen enthusiasm for their work.

It is a part of our culture, and over recent years has been driven by senior partner, Paul Ayre, whose mission has been to make the legal profession accessible to people of all backgrounds.

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Our ambition has driven us to seek more ways to engage with prospective candidates from underrepresented socio-economic backgrounds.

This understanding led Gordons to launch the UK’s first law apprenticeship scheme. Our aim was to connect with motivated young individuals aspiring to a legal career, who were either unable to financially or uncomfortable pursuing the conventional university path.

Since its launch over a decade ago, our Law Apprenticeship has become a multiple award-winner. Former Chair of the Social Mobility Foundation, Alan Milburn said: “Gordons have led the way in opening the doors of the legal profession to all.”

We have taken on over 40 apprentices to date, providing school leavers with the chance to qualify as lawyers through practical experience and academic study, without the burden of student debt, as the firm pays their salaries and course fees.

Immensely proud

Senior partner Paul Ayre said: “We want our firm to be full of talented people with a great attitude. We don’t care where they start out in life or what school they went to. We wanted to find bright young people who work hard and that is exactly what we are achieving.

Their career progression at Gordons is potentially unlimited.”

Key differentiator

Our clients regard our dedication to social mobility as a key differentiator for the firm, which they both applaud and support. With many organisations seeking to play a part in improving social mobility, our pioneering stance has fostered closer relationships with clients.

We have advised clients on how they can establish their own initiatives to enhance social mobility, inclusion, and diversity. This advice and guidance has been greatly appreciated by a number of organisations.

It doesn’t stop there

We are aware that social mobility has become a much more prevalent topic in recent years and we are delighted that the issue is being tackled by many other firms, organisations and lobbyists.

We continue to be committed to promoting the positive effects of social mobility, not just for the candidates but also for business, through having diverse opinions and thinkers at the table.

We recognise that although the main barrier can be financial, those with no examples of professional services careers in their immediate families and peers, may also lack the knowledge and confidence about how to approach the corporate sector.

Improving apprentices experience

We regularly take their insight in order to evolve and improve our recruitment process. Recently we introduced  preliminary phone calls with current apprentices to provide reassurance and information before the candidates’ interviews, acknowledging that some school leavers will never have had an interview, or stepped foot inside an office environment. We continue to build connections with schools and hope to increase our traction with them across the region.

We have also enhanced our learning and development offerings. In addition to the usual legal training all apprentices and trainee lawyers are now offered sessions on financial wellbeing alongside other know-how sharing sessions held with senior colleagues and clients, to widen their knowledge and increase their confidence.

For further details on our apprenticeship programme or to apply, please click here.