Page 6 - Prime - Marking Ten Years

Meet the Board
David Ampaw, Partner, DLA Piper
I am incredibly proud to be a member of the PRIME Board. The work that PRIME has done and continues to do in promoting the social mobility agenda is urgent and arguably more important than it has ever been in our society today. There is just an incredible amount of untapped diverse talent out there in
our communities which just needs early engagement and an opportunity. PRIME goes beyond talking about it. It is a key force in facilitating the removal of undue obstacles to the entry into the legal profession and promoting actual practical measures and best practice amongst law firms to connect up that talent with opportunity.
Laura Bruce, Director of Programmes and Partnerships, The Sutton Trust
Having worked in social mobility for over 10 years, there
are a few key ingredients that I believe truly impact social mobility. The first is a young person not just experiencing an opportunity but feeling that they truly belong and the second is a commitment to collaboration across sectors to make meaningful change. PRIME aims to achieve both these things by bringing together law firms and key stakeholders to provide high quality work experience for students and to promote ongoing cultural change. I am proud to support this essential work.
Olivia Cole, Education Consultant
I feel honoured to be on PRIME’S Board. Having spent thirty years in state education and ten as a principal in east London,
I was very aware of the challenges faced by students who aspired to a career that appeared unattainable to someone from their background. A challenge for staff is to encourage students to aim high, but the far greater challenge is to support access into their chosen careers. I wish I had known about PRIME then. For students without experienced support systems, PRIME provides an excellent and structured platform for them to access careers in law.
Ty Jones, Director CSR & Engagement, DWF
As a Board member, my role is to encourage and help law firms to challenge their assumptions and those of others about what talent looks like by encouraging the provision of meaningful work experience that helps break down the barriers to accessing the legal profession. We all recognise that whilst talent is everywhere, opportunities are not, so PRIME will continue to be a catalyst for enabling talent, so that no young person is defined and limited by their social background.
Lucy Lewis, Partner, Lewis Silkin
As a profession, we are facing a period of unprecedented change and innovation but we cannot face the future unless we act now to achieve greater diversity and representation at all levels. Creating a diverse and inclusive profession must be a priority for all law firm leaders but we will achieve more if we cooperate and collaborate with each other and this is why the work of PRIME is so important.
Molly Lewis, Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
I applied to join the Board because I strongly believe that without the support of social mobility organisations like PRIME
I would not be where I am today. Everyone should have a fair chance of joining the legal profession, no matter what their background is. We are making progress, but law firms must continue to challenge the barriers which prevent less privileged students from accessing and succeeding within the sector in order to be fit for the future.