The City Solicitors Horizons (CSH) social mobility programme celebrated its 10th anniversary this week, a significant milestone in the London legal profession’s journey toward greater inclusivity.
To mark the anniversary, CSH hosted a networking and celebration evening at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London on 16 July.
Launched in 2015 by the City of London Solicitors Company, the City of London Law Society and the City Solicitors Educational Trust, CSH has spent the past decade transforming access to the legal profession for undergraduates from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
This is no small task, but it is one the 2024 Social Mobility Index shows law firms are increasingly willing to undertake. Magic Circle firms, such as Slaughter and May, Linklaters and Freshfields, feature prominently, reflecting a growing commitment among elite firms to tackle class-based barriers.
What makes CSH unique is the emphasis placed on both organisation and aspiration. The organisation is provided through a highly structured three-year programme that selects around 50 high-potential first-year law students each year.
Such students, often from universities and backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in City law, receive one-to-one coaching, professional mentoring, training sessions, and – crucially – guaranteed work experience at a sponsor firm.
Such sustained support enables law students to acquire the skills, confidence and cultural capital necessary to succeed in the legal sector. This fosters aspiration, and City law firms have had no hesitation in lending their support.
To date, more than 350 individuals have completed the programme, with 50% securing training contracts – many at prestigious City firms. A further 100 students are currently enrolled, including 30 who joined earlier this year. Law firm sponsors include Ashurst, BCLP, Cleary Gottlieb, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Mayer Brown and Sullivan & Cromwell.
Roger Finbow, who helped launch CSH in 2015, reflected on its origins: “The birth of CSH resulted from the realisation that each year there are hundreds of good quality students studying law at universities that the big recruiters largely ignore. Consequently, they face a challenge to get onto the first step in the legal profession, especially if they come from less advantaged backgrounds. The success of CSH over its first decade has been well beyond my expectations and hopes.”
The programme’s impact is perhaps best reflected by its alumni. Adam Badawy, now a trainee associate at Freshfields, said: “Without CSH, I would not have secured a training contract. The programme provided invaluable insight into a profession where I had no existing connections, gave me the confidence to excel in interviews, and offered unique opportunities to develop cultural capital. I’m deeply grateful for the transformative support this programme offered.”
Myung Cho, an associate at A&O Shearman, added: “The City Solicitors Horizons programme was fundamental in my journey to a City law firm. It equipped me to navigate the expected social norms of working in a professional environment and even taught me the realities of sensible business dress attire.”
She continued: “It gave me access to an industry that felt very far away when I started at university. Without the programme, I am not sure I would have ended up in the position I am today.”
Now managed by SEO London – a charity committed to educational equity – CSH is poised for further growth. SEO London is creating a new ‘CSH Academy’, an intensive induction event that connects students directly with City solicitors.
Nathalie Richards, CEO of SEO London, explained: “Looking ahead, we are committed to broadening the range of support from sponsors and to empowering even more talented students from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.”
CSH is not alone; there are other initiatives such as PRIME and Pathways to Law, which are also popular.
The City’s law societies have also enthusiastically endorsed the work of City Century, which aims to support sixth-form school leavers and increase the number of solicitor apprenticeships (Level 7). These apprenticeships combine work and part-time study, leading to a degree and SQE qualification.
City Century continues to grow, thanks to supporters like Patrick McCann – the incoming CEO of CLLS – Joanna Hughes and Linklaters’ Paul Lewis.
Yet CSH’s multi-year, mentorship-driven model and guaranteed work experience arguably set it apart. A decade on, CHS is not just a programme – it’s a proven pathway to progress. Here’s to 2035.
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