Community impact

The Freshfields Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP) is a social mobility outreach programme created in partnership between Freshfields and the Social Mobility Foundation to support talented young people from social mobility ‘cold spot’ areas.

The programme aims to encourage social mobility and racial equality for students by raising aspirations, building confidence in a professional setting and establishing professional networks. Each year APP offers 100 students from lower socio-economic and diverse backgrounds the opportunity to get an insight into a career in the City.

“This week has been a great insight into the work of an international commercial firm,” said one recent Aspiring Professionals student. “The people are all a credit to the firm and have truly made this experience.”

London Managing Partner Claire Wills said that Freshfields strongly believes that career success should not be defined by an individual’s social background or ethnicity. “We feel we need to do what we can to address the systemic issues which create barriers for many.”

Sarah Atkinson, CEO of the Social Mobility Foundation, said the pandemic has highlighted and increased barriers which prevent disadvantaged young people achieving their potential. “This is a significant commitment from Freshfields and we are delighted to be partnering with them to deliver this exciting programme.”

Long-term, focused programme

Most similar initiatives draw students from the geographical area around a firm’s office, the Aspiring Professionals Programme looks to the 50 per cent most deprived postcodes throughout the UK, using definitions from the Social Mobility Commission (SMC), Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

This wider focus makes the programme more difficult to deliver but maximises the transformational impact, finding lawyers and business leaders of the future in social mobility ‘cold spots’. Challenges tend to be intersectional so we aim for at least 50 per cent of students identifying as from an ethnic minority.

The Aspiring Professionals Programme is also distinct from other programmes in its length and intensity: unlike other short-term interventions, the Freshfields Programme offers three years of development, providing students with a Freshfields mentor, university application support, skills workshops and a virtual work shadowing placement. Students also have the opportunity to apply for one of twelve places on a month-long residential internship earning the UK living wage with accommodation provided.

‘I think my internship most helped me by giving me a unique point of view from an international law firm,’ says Harry, a recent participant. ‘I would have never been able to have this experience without Freshfields or the SMF.’

Dedicated intensive relationships

Every student’s Freshfields mentor is supported through a dedicated guide, training session and learning resources. Dedicated, intensive relationships develop as mentors support mentees with messages and online mentor meet-ups, offering a 1:1 relationship with a professional, supporting university applications and helping explore professional interests (2,434 messages were exchanged between mentoring pairs in FY22/23, with 104 meet ups and phone calls).

Aruba, another recent participant, says that her mentor offered someone to chat to about professional law and answer questions. ‘I felt like I really built a connection with her over time. She did dedicate a lot of time to answer my questions and proofread my answers on applications so I think I had a really good relationship with her.’

APP is delivered through online and in-person interactions, with a dedicated Freshfields mentor, interactive career insight week and skills sessions with Freshfields’ clients. Many students suffer ‘digital fatigue’ from perceived one-sided online engagements with schools and others, so group sizes are small (maximum eight) and extremely interactive. Pre-calls, advance materials, and consistent, friendly points of contact (one joining every session) ensure students are comfortable. The Social Mobility Foundation check students have technology access and provide this if not.