Minority and first-generation law students in London say entering the legal profession involves more than achieving strong grades. Many highlight the importance of professional networks, representation and access to opportunities.<\/p>\n
A survey conducted by myself of 10 minority and first-generation law students from SOAS University of London and the University of Law found that students viewed professional connections, workplace exposure and representation as key factors shaping their future careers.<\/p>\n
All respondents identified as first-generation university law students, while nine out of 10 said they considered themselves to come from a background that is under-represented in the legal profession.<\/p>\n
The findings come as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)<\/a> continues to examine diversity within law firms in England and Wales. Its 2026 diversity report<\/a> found that 20% of lawyers working in SRA-regulated firms came from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, while 76% identified as White.<\/p>\n The report also highlighted differences in social background within the profession. More than half of lawyers surveyed by the SRA came from professional backgrounds, with 58% reporting a professional parental occupation.<\/p>\n For some students, becoming a lawyer represents more than career progression. It represents social mobility<\/a> and creating opportunities for their families.<\/p>\n Soraya Weber, 18, said: \u201cI want to do well for myself. I\u2019ve seen how hard my family has worked, so I want a career where I can be financially secure and proud of what I\u2019ve achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n However, financial pressures continue to influence how students view their routes into law.<\/p>\n Seven out of 10 respondents identified professional qualification costs, including the SQE, LPC or Bar Course, as the most financially difficult stage of becoming a lawyer.<\/p>\n Four out of 10 students said they had reconsidered their preferred area of law because of concerns about income or financial stability.<\/p>\n Several respondents also said financial considerations influenced the areas of law they hoped to pursue, with some highlighting commercial law and other higher-earning areas as attractive because of the security they could provide.<\/p>\n However, students said the pathway into law can feel uncertain, particularly when competing for highly sought-after training contracts.<\/p>\n Yasmin Kamali, 21, said: \u201cI\u2019d love to get a training contract, but I\u2019m also trying to be realistic. If it doesn\u2019t happen straight away, I\u2019d probably do a master\u2019s or look at teaching while I keep applying.\u201d<\/p>\n A recurring theme throughout the survey was the importance of networking.<\/p>\n When asked about the biggest barriers to entering the profession beyond finances, respondents highlighted competition, limited opportunities, discrimination and professional connections.<\/p>\n Students said gaining legal experience and building relationships with professionals could influence opportunities, particularly for those without family members or existing links within the sector.<\/p>\n Several respondents suggested universities and law firms could improve access by expanding careers events, mentoring schemes, scholarships and opportunities for students to gain exposure to legal workplaces.<\/p>\n For first-generation students, entering the profession can involve navigating an unfamiliar system without the same guidance available to those with existing connections.<\/p>\n Representation was another key concern raised throughout the survey.<\/p>\n Some respondents said they looked at law firms\u2019 websites before applying for placements and training contracts and considered whether they could see people from similar backgrounds represented within the profession.<\/p>\n Farah Koury, 19, said: \u201cRepresentation matters because it makes you feel like there\u2019s actually a place for you. If you don\u2019t see people who look like you, you start questioning whether you\u2019d fit in.\u201d<\/p>\n The survey findings reflect wider concerns around diversity and access<\/a> within the legal profession. The SRA\u2019s 2026 diversity report found that while progress has been made, representation remains uneven across the sector.<\/p>\n The report found that 20% of lawyers working in SRA-reguulated firms came from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds. However, representation decreased at senior levels, with only 19% of partners from these backgrounds overall and 9% in the largest law firms.<\/p>\n The data also highlighted differences in socio-economic background, suggesting that access to the profession is shaped not only by academic achievement, but also by background, opportunity and professional networks.<\/p>\n In response, firms have introduced outreach programmes, mentoring initiatives and diversity strategies aimed at widening access<\/p>\n Students surveyed said these opportunities were important not only for recruitment, but also for helping aspiring lawyers feel confident that a career in law is achievable.<\/p>\n Despite the challenges, respondents remained optimistic about their futures and said they wanted to see a profession that better reflected the society it serves.<\/p>\n For many, improving diversity in law is not only about who enters the profession, but whether students from different backgrounds feel they have a genuine opportunity to succeed once they get there.<\/p>\n Featured image credit: Photo by Christian Lendl<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Minority and first-generation law students in London say entering the legal profession involves more than achieving strong grades.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1090609,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,3858,393,4884,2725,257,32048,16,15,5178],"class_list":["post-1090608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-london","tag-britain","tag-careers","tag-england","tag-great-britain","tag-law","tag-london","tag-networking","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-university"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116923714005282892","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1090608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1090608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1090608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1090609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1090608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1090608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1090608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}