Nicola White

The firm has remodelled its undergraduate Career First Programme to become a fully social mobility-focused initiative exclusively open to first and second year undergraduate students on the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) and on the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) schemes.

The six-month programme will support students to succeed in their academic studies through a customised skills development programme and an assigned mentor from Matheson. Students will also have the opportunity to complete a week-long work placement in the firm.

Managing partner Michael Jackson said: “Promoting diversity and inclusion across our business and across the wider legal profession is a key priority for us.

“As a firm, it is important that we are thoughtful about diversity in all aspects of our business, including the diversity of our own teams and the students that join our programmes to experience life at Matheson.

“We strongly believe that career success should be defined by talent and the way in which that talent is applied, not by an individual’s circumstances or background, and we are committed to playing our part to address the challenges which create barriers for many in pursuing a legal career.”

Nicola White, director of learning and development at Matheson, added: “Diversity is one of our core values and as a firm we are committed to enhancing access to the legal profession.

“Since 2020, we have ensured that ensured that at least 50 per cent of the participants on our Career First Programme were students on either the HEAR or DARE schemes and we are delighted to now be able to offer our programme exclusively to Access students.”

The Career First Programme is open for applications from Thursday 15 February to Wednesday 13 March 2024. Successful participants will be selected based on their application form. More information is available from Matheson’s website.