PRIME to mark 10th anniversary with online conference

PRIME Commitment, the alliance of law firms across the UK and Republic of Ireland created to improve socio-economic diversity within the legal profession, will mark its 10th anniversary with an online conference next month. 

The half-day conference, to be held online on Wednesday 10 November 2021, will reflect on PRIME's first decade, and look ahead to further action law firms should take to improve outreach to candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Speakers will include I Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society of England & Wales; Patricia Christias, assistant general counsel and head of Legal at Microsoft; and Sian Hughes, head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Solicitors Regulation Authority. There will also be representatives from organisations working to increase social mobility in the profession, including Aspiring Solicitors, the Bridge Group, MyKindaFuture, Rare Recruitment, the Social Mobility Foundation and The Sutton Trust.

Registration is open to anyone who works in the legal profession, diversity and inclusion practitioners, HR practitioners and PRIME work experience alumni (over the age of 18).

Nicholas Cheffings, executive chair of PRIME, commented: "This year's conference programme has been designed so that we can identify where more actions are needed to create a future where PRIME, and organisations like it, no longer need to exist. We will discuss the past, present and future of social mobility, identifying challenges and opportunities for law firms to build on the progress already made.

"We encourage law firms to join us on the important journey towards creating a truly diverse socio-economic workforce, by extending opportunities to talented young people from all backgrounds. Society expects that we do so. Our clients increasingly demand that we do so. There is simply no excuse for failing to do so."