Diversity and Inclusion Annual Review 2023
Our progress this year
Diversity and inclusion
Social mobility
Freshfields is committed to ensuring that career success, both within our firm and across the legal industry, is not limited by a person’s social, educational or financial background or lack of connections.
We work to achieve this by creating alternative pathways into the profession through our long-standing initiatives, such as the Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship Scheme, Aspiring Professionals Programme, our Legal Outreach programme in the US and our professional skills workshop programme with ITE College East in Singapore.
Launched in 2020, the Freshfields Social Mobility network aims to foster inclusion by increasing understanding and awareness of social mobility as a diversity strand. The network supports individuals in connecting, sharing and celebrating their experiences, while striving to attract and support those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Our goal is to enhance social mobility inclusion and career progression within the firm.
Externally, we collaborate with like-minded organisations, and engage in dialogue with governments and regulators to drive change. Our Early Careers team partners with Rare Recruitment, Aspiring Solicitors, PRIME and the 93% Club to support high-potential candidates and to improve access to the legal profession. We value the contributions of organisations such as The Bridge Group and work with them to make positive change, including participating in the 2024 cross-firm collaborative research on effective practices.
In the UK, we have set specific targets focused on social mobility, which are crucial to enhancing access to the legal profession for diverse talent and fostering a sense of belonging. These targets are an integral part of our broader D&I strategy, demonstrating our commitment to future trainees, colleagues and clients while positioning us as industry leaders exceeding sector standards. Beyond recruitment, we are dedicated to improving the retention of diverse talent and supporting the development of employees by expanding access to senior sponsorship, mentoring initiatives, and developing an internal leadership programme.
