At Clarke Willmott, social mobility is not just a theme for one day; it’s an integral part of how we think about our role as a responsible business and as legal advisers. The legal profession, like many others, has historically struggled with accessibility. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not always equally distributed. That is something we are committed to changing.
Improving social mobility is not only the right thing to do, it makes us stronger as a business. Bringing together people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives leads to better thinking, better decision-making and ultimately, better outcomes for our clients. It helps us better understand the communities we serve and ensures we reflect the society we operate in.
But beyond the business case, there is a deeper purpose. The legal sector has a responsibility to open doors, break down barriers and create pathways for those who may not have traditionally seen law as an accessible career. For many, this is deeply personal.
Tom Costin, IT Training Manager shares: “Understanding the impact and importance of social mobility is unbelievably important to me. The impact of a lack of social mobility throughout the earlier years of my life made me feel as though there was always an obstacle, always an anchor against my progression in career and education. There were more barriers, more obstacles and more challenges in the way. Growing up, I watched people around me that had a better start almost effortlessly make their way into the career of their dreams, while I was living paycheck to paycheck. Social mobility is so critically important to ensure that those that are not lucky enough to have financial and social advantages from a young age are not forced to live with the burden of that, and have to fight against that, for their entire life.”
Similarly, Karl Brown, Partner in Commercial Property, highlights the generational importance of opportunity: “The life stories of my parents, coming from humble backgrounds in Jamaica to the UK in the 1960s and through hard work and determination giving their children a better start in life than they themselves had enjoyed, meant social mobility was and is of major importance to me. I believe that if we have an opportunity economy for the best and most hardworking regardless of their background, then this will not only help lift such individuals but help lift all of our communities in the UK.”
And for Sam Harkness, Associate, Commercial and Private Client Litigation, it is about both access and responsibility: “To me, social mobility means not only the ability to aspire to high achievement from disadvantaged backgrounds, but the ability to encourage others to do so and support the next generation. Young people throughout the UK, in areas of low academic achievement or low opportunity, struggle to break into the legal profession and find themselves competing with those who have significantly more opportunity. The more we can do to level the playing field, the better. Having personally benefited from the Sutton Trust’s Summer School programme, I would not have felt like I could have ever made it into law without their support. Now, as a qualified solicitor, I consider it even more important to give back that support by mentoring others on their own journeys.”
At Clarke Willmott, we aim to move beyond aspiration and into action. That means focusing not only on recruitment, but on long-term development, retention and progression.
We are working to ensure that:
- Access routes into the firm are broad and inclusive.
- Talent is recognised and nurtured, regardless of background.
- Individuals feel supported to grow and succeed once they are here.
This is not a one-off initiative – it requires sustained focus, leadership commitment and accountability.
Supporting a more inclusive and accessible legal profession has always been important to our firm, which is why last year we launched Clarke Willmott Catalyst.
Catalyst brings together our social mobility activities into one central space, from outreach and mentoring, to skills development and career support. It makes it easier to access our early careers initiatives, programmes and opportunities, and reflects our ambition to empower individuals from all backgrounds to explore and thrive in their careers.
Through Catalyst, our work includes:
- Partnering with local schools to engage aspiring legal professionals early
- Collaborating with universities on skills and employability programmes to set students up for success
- Providing paid work experience opportunities
- Engaging with our local communities and supporting our firm’s national charity, the Social Mobility Foundation.
Importantly, the name “Catalyst” itself came from the talented students we worked with as part of the University of Birmingham Impact Challenge, a reminder of the insight and potential that exists when we listen and collaborate.
We are proud of the steps we’ve taken so far, but we recognise there is more to do. Real change takes time, persistence and a willingness to challenge traditional ways of thinking. Social Mobility Day is a moment to pause and reflect, but also to recommit. At Clarke Willmott, we remain focused on building a culture where opportunity is accessible, progression is achievable, and success is not limited by background.