In this article Elfie Farrant interviews Emily about her work with the 93% Club and social mobility within the legal industry.
Please briefly explain your background and journey into law.
I first began thinking about law during sixth form. I took part in an access programme with Sheffield University, where I was able to visit the university monthly, as well as travel to London, visiting the Royal Courts of Justice, and a top commercial law firm. As a sixth former, this was a very cool experience, and subsequently, I applied for my LLB degree.
At university, commercial law is very well advertised, and that’s probably why I started looking at those opportunities. I took part in a first-year scheme with a magic circle firm, as well as another large firm’s regional office in Glasgow. At the end of my first year, there weren’t many internships at commercial law firms, so instead, I interned at a corporate immigration firm, which gave me a different range of work to a traditional full-service firm.
In second year, I reached several assessment centres, but unfortunately didn’t get a vacation scheme. At the time, it felt like the world was ending. However, securing an in-house internship within the financial services industry clarified for me that a career in commercial law is what I want. This opportunity was definitely a pivotal moment and gave me the push I needed to go on and secure a vacation scheme and training contract in my final year.
Something to highlight is that even if an opportunity doesn’t work out for you, you will find your path and end up where you are meant to be!
Why is social mobility in the legal industry important to you?
First, it’s important to me because it affects me. The experiences I had at some of the open days I attended made me feel like other people were further ahead, because they came from more privileged backgrounds. I think there is still more that can be done. Underlying that, social mobility in the legal industry is important because it is about fairness. The legal industry should be more representative of the UK population, which will have better implications for clients, who in turn, represent the wider UK population.
I also think that universities in the North tend to be less represented at top law firms, and that the university you attend can alter the experience you have. This absolutely should not be the case, in particular because many students are not informed that the university you attend can impact your career opportunities. My response to discovering that northern universities are less represented at top London firms than other universities acted as a motivator for wanting to succeed even more. Despite sometimes being harder for some, it definitely is achievable.
How did you become involved with the 93% Club? As Founder and President of the 93% Club Sheffield, what have been your ambitions for the club, and how have you sought to help improve opportunities for state-educated students?
I first heard about the 93% Club in my first year of university, through LinkedIn. I went to their Social Mobility Factory and spoke both with professionals who had gone through similar experiences, and students who were equally as determined as me to break into a career. In second year, I tried to find like-minded people who would be interested in improving social mobility, which meant that we could properly set up the 93% Club in Sheffield, becoming affiliated with the Students’ Union. The Club’s values fully align with my values and experiences of law, which can feel very unequal when you are from a socially mobile background. I was very motivated because it can be easy to feel isolated from people with more privileged backgrounds, and I didn’t want other students to feel the same way I did.
Our approach to improving opportunities for state educated students manifests in two distinct ways: socially and career oriented. Often, the social aspect is undervalued because the primary objective is to assist students find top jobs. However, if students can’t afford to socialise or even put the kettle on for a hot drink that day, then how are they supposed to succeed? We ran regular free tea and coffee events to ensure that students were able to have a warm drink and a chat, whilst not having to worry about the cost.
In terms of how we helped improve opportunities for careers, we hosted a variety of leading industry professionals to come and talk to students. We had events in various sectors ranging from finance, public, consulting, law, and marketing. Creating a friendly environment allows students to build a network similar to that of their more privileged peers who may already have one.
I hope we have been able to achieve our goals this year! We won Best New Society at our Students’ Union Activities Awards. People who gave feedback shared that the Club had changed their perspective and experience at university, as well as helping to navigate finding a career. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience.
What advice would you give to students seeking to break into the legal profession, who may not have connections in the industry, and may be the first in their family to attend university?
The first thing I would advise is to reassure yourself that you can do it. If you work hard, you will get there. Something I found interesting is that the 93% Club have spoken about using social mobility as a superpower. What it means is that when applying for top jobs, it may not be commonplace to come from where you do or have the accent you have. Ultimately, use this to your advantage and make the most of the experiences you do have. For me, in every assessment centre I did, I talked about working at Starbucks and the transferrable skills it gave me. For example, teamwork and leadership.
Are there any resources that have been particularly helpful to you, in your journey to securing a training contract?
Definitely make use of resources and programs like Aspiring Solicitors and upReach. UpReach have a social mobility network, where you can talk to professionals from a number of law firms. UpReach also gives you your own coordinator, to help you through your journey. A law firm they are partnered with offers a scholarship scheme. I was able to have calls with partners, and I don’t think there are many platforms that offer you so much tailored experience and help. Not everybody has access to these because you have to be from a socially mobile background to take part, so make the most of these.
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