The UK mentoring scheme caters to university students from low-income or single-parent households
UK trainee solicitor Jude D’Alesio has launched mentoring scheme Legal Education and Access Programme (LEAP), which caters to university students coming from less privileged backgrounds.
The Law Society Gazette reported that under the program, aspiring commercial lawyers will be paired with legal professionals in three virtual one-on-one coaching sessions. These sessions will tackle various stages of the training contract recruitment process.
D’Alesio started the program earlier this year to pay forward the help others had given to him as he kickstarted his legal career. He himself had come from a disadvantaged background.
“I was raised by a single mother in a low-income household, went to my local state comp in Cardiff, and needed a full student loan and grant to go university, so it’s ample time that I repay the generosity of others and that’s what I’m trying to achieve through LEAP,” D’Alesio said in a statement published by the Gazette.
The program is currently open to applicants until September 12. To qualify for LEAP, applicants must meet at least one requirement from among the following:
- Come from a low-income or single-parent household
- Studies at a school with a low Ofsted rating
- Is the first in their family to pursue university studies
According to D’Alesio, these criteria ensure that the program concentrates on assisting disadvantaged students. LEAP is also courting possible mentors.
This week, LEAP will hold a virtual panel launch event at which prospective lawyers can connect with those who recently completed the recruitment process.
In October, D’Alesio will join global firm A&O Shearman as an associate on its litigation and investigations team. He started his training contract at Shearman & Sterling before it merged with Allen & Overy last year.
“The days when you could get a degree from Oxbridge and walk straight into a magic circle law firm are long gone,” he said in a statement published by the Gazette. “My best advice is definitely to give your academics the effort they deserve, but balance that with leadership roles, competition successes, and writing thoughtful applications. Everyone applying for a training contract, by definition, has done a degree, so it’s all about how you set yourself apart in other ways.”
