FAIRE: Revolutionising social mobility and access to a career in the legal sector

Over 80,000 attendees have joined our FAIRE events so far. 

At Browne Jacobson we believe the legal profession needs all voices to reflect the society it serves, so we’re passionate about finding innovative ways to attract diverse talent. People from lower socio-economic and minority backgrounds are still hugely underrepresented in the legal profession. We want to change this. We want to break down barriers to accessing a career in the legal sector and help everyone - whatever their background - get a foot in the door. 

We’ve set up FAIRE (Fairer Access Into Real Experience) to revolutionise the way law firms encourage diverse talent into the sector, and to grow an industry-wide culture of inclusivity. FAIRE aims to support social mobility, offering students equal access to paid work experience that can pave the way for a career in variety of professional sectors. 

FAIRE has two key programmes

1. FAIRE work experience

Opportunities for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to attend paid, in-person work experience at one of our offices.

We offer structured work experience placements for people aged 16+ in all areas of the business, not just law. The programme runs three times a year, usually in April, July and October. Attendees are typically identified in collaboration with widening participation teams at universities and colleges, as well as social mobility charities.

A limited number of places for the following programmes will be available for open application via our Careers page:

•  31 March - 2 April 2026  
•  27 October - 29 October 2026

More details regarding FAIRE open applications will be announced in early February 2026. Please keep an eye on our careers page.

2. FAIRE virtual insight

A day-long programme of virtual work experience, including talks, tips and networking opportunities with leaders from a variety of legal and non-legal professions.

This free annual online event is open to anyone and offers a packed day to give people insight into a variety of careers in the legal sector. 

The jam-packed schedule includes talks, workshops and Q&A sessions led by a raft of esteemed professionals. Speakers typically include trainees, high-profile solicitors, barristers, judges and other professionals working in many different organisations, including Browne Jacobson. 

The next FAIRE Virtual Insight Day will be held on 27 October 2026. Registration will open in mid-2026.

Previous FAIRE speakers

In recent years, speakers have included:

• T. Hon Ellie Reeves MP (Solicitor General, Attorney General Office)
• Barbara Mills KC (Chair of The Bar Council)
• Baroness Hale of Richmond (Lady Hale, Former President of the Supreme Court)
• Chrissie Wolfe (Lawyer, Influencer Nexa and Law and Broader)
• Dr. Sally Penni MBE (Kenworthy’s Chambers)
• Nirmal Shant KC HHJ – 1 High Pavement Chambers
• Akil Hunte and Billy Shaw (NRG Lawyers)
• Shaun Wallace (Barrister and star of ITV’s ‘The Chase’)
• Dr. Sally Penni MBE – Barrister, Author and Founder of Women in Law UK
• Mark Evans (President of the Law Society)

The virtual work experience and careers events offer people a glimpse of how a full-service UK and Ireland law firm works, as well as the various career options open to them. Attendees received an e-certificate to add to their CV to help boost future career prospects.

Our commitment to fair working practices

FAIRE is part of our firm-wide commitment to fair working practices, inclusivity, collaboration and making sure we’re at the forefront of conversations about how we can all tackle society's biggest issues. We’ve been widely recognised for our commitment to this. We’ve been recognised as the top law firm in the Social Mobility Employer Index for five  years, including the overall top employer in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

Recent awards

• Number 1 ranked in Social Mobility Foundation’s Employer Index 2025
• Winner: The Legal 500 ESG Awards 2025 Social Mobility: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent
• Winner: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award for Small Employers at the Personnel Today Awards 2023
• Winner: Social Mobility Initiative of the Year at the European Diversity Awards 2023
• 'National (British) Winners of the Equity Trailblazer’ at the National British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Business Awards, 2023 
• Winner: Best Social Mobility Initiative 2023 at the People in Law Award

More FAIRE resources