Travers Smith LLP is delighted to announce that it has been ranked 48th in the Social Mobility Employer Index for 2025, the first time the firm has entered the index.
The Index is an annual benchmarking and assessment tool, developed by the Social Mobility Foundation, which measures the companies that enter against eight employer-led social mobility criteria. 140 organisations entered the Index this year.
Travers Smith is proud to run, and take part in, a number of activities to encourage wider access to legal careers, both at Travers Smith and within the City more broadly. Recent highlights include:
- Working with Formula 1 and the Social Mobility Partnership on 'The Next Grand Prix', an award-winning scheme which gives young people from less advantaged backgrounds employability skills.
- Running the annual TS Thrive Scheme – a paid week-long work experience scheme for 20 sixth-form students from underprivileged backgrounds.
- Partnering with schools across the UK located in social mobility cold spots to deliver financial and legal literacy sessions.
- Finally, this September, the firm was delighted to welcome its first cohort of Solicitor Apprentices.
Alongside this, the firm has an internal social mobility group, composed of people from across the business, working with the firm's D&I Board, and other senior leaders, to promote social mobility across the profession.
The firm's social mobility work compliments its wider Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, which delivers a wide range of projects focussed on upskilling young people, raising aspirations and working with our local communities.
Chris Edwards, CSR & Diversity Director said: "At Travers Smith we are proud of our inclusive culture, where everyone can thrive regardless of their background. We know that a diverse organisation is a stronger one, and we are committed to continuing to develop further programmes to help get more individuals from lower social mobility into not only our firm but the wider legal profession. My huge thanks to everyone involved in the submission process, and everyone involved in our wider social mobility work."
Polly Richard, partner in Dispute Resolution and sponsor of the firm's Social Mobility Group said: "I'm excited to share that, for the first time, our firm has earned a spot on the Social Mobility Employer Index. While we've always been committed to making the legal profession more accessible, since launching our social mobility group, we've been able to sharpen our focus on providing opportunities to those who might otherwise find the profession inaccessible."