Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright have joined Slaughter and May as corporate members of 93% Professionals – a social mobility network aimed at boosting the careers of state school educated professionals.
The pair will follow Slaughters’ lead in offering all state-educated staff membership of the network, which looks to offer support and networking opportunities in order to improve soft skills and boost career development.
Slaughters became one of the network’s founding corporate members when it launched in 2023, as the professional arm of former Herbert Smith Freehills associate Sophie Pender’s social impact not-for-profit the 93% Club.
The news is the latest example of the legal sector’s social mobility ambitions.
Twenty five law firms placed in the top 75 of the 2024 Social Mobility Employer Index, a benchmarking tool that recognises organisations for their work improving access for those from less advantaged backgrounds. Slaughters, Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright all sit within the top 10.
Commenting on the firm’s decision to commit to 93% Professionals, Paul Lewis – the state-educated managing partner of Linklaters – said. ‘The importance of getting out there, networking and making connections in business cannot be understated. It can open doors and lead to opportunities you might not otherwise have had access to. Having had no exposure to the corporate world when I was starting out, I know just how difficult it can be. I wish [93% Professionals] had been around when I was in the early stages of my career.’
Peter Scott, managing partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, echoed this sentiment, saying: ‘We‘re excited to build on our existing social mobility programme by joining the 93% Club. This will provide another avenue for our colleagues to connect further with both professionals and students from state-educated backgrounds.’
Both Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright already have a number of existing strategies in place to improve social mobility. Linklaters is involved in a number of outreach and mentoring programmes aimed at widening access to the legal profession, including the Get Ahead development programme and the Making Links Scholarship. Norton Rose Fulbright meanwhile has partnered with schools and charities to help improve the representation of underrepresented groups in law, alongside its development of pre-recruitment initiatives including Scholars, the firm’s university bursary programme, and the RISE programme aimed at year 12 students with an interest in commercial law.
Andrew Jolly, head of corporate at Slaughter and May, said: ‘We are delighted that Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright have also now joined. We aim to ensure that everyone, no matter their background, can access opportunities to enter the profession and thrive throughout their careers.’
Sophie Pender, founder of The 93% Club, said the addition of the two firms adds momentum to the movement.
‘We’re excited to welcome two of the City’s biggest firms to 93% Professionals. It means even more knowing they’re offering access to the kind of network I really needed when I was starting out in law. I realised how much difference it makes to have solid advice, real connections and senior people backing your growth. That kind of support matters.’