Firm Launches ‘BCLP Potential,’ an Early Careers Inspiration Hub in the UK

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner announce the official launch of BCLP Potential, a new early careers inspiration hub aimed at students in the UK between 15 and 19 years old with an interest in law.

BCLP has a long-standing commitment to broadening access to the legal profession, particularly for those from challenging or lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the UK. Entering the legal profession can be a daunting prospect, especially for those who are the first in their family to attend university or consider a career in law, who are from areas of the UK with a limited presence of major legal employers, or who have limited access to role models in the legal profession. 

BCLP Potential offers students invaluable insights into the role of a lawyer to help them decide if this is the career path they want to follow. The interactive online hub also provides students with practical skills and information, which universities and any future employers will value. The hub covers topics including routes into law, application tips and careers advice more generally – e.g. preparing a CV or cover letter, how to gain and benefit from work experience, and “survival tips” for navigating the transition from school to life at college and university.

To develop this new legal careers hub BCLP worked with its schools and youth outreach partner, MyKindaFuture, an organization that specializes in helping under-represented talent get into work. MyKindaFuture utilized its Connectr online platform to bring the BCLP Potential hub to life. The site was launched to a limited audience last summer to support the delivery of BCLP’s Career Kick Start work experience program, which took place virtually as a consequence of COVID-19. BCLP is now making the hub accessible to students across the UK.

“We are really excited about the BCLP Potential site, which we hope will equip students from across the UK with the tools and resources to help them take their first step towards joining the legal profession,” BCLP Social Inclusivity & Ethnicity Group Co-Chair Tim Smith said. “Too often a business’ social mobility outreach and youth engagement is confined to its local area. This limits the breadth of talent that organizations can engage with and leaves many of the UK’s social mobility ‘cold spots’ untouched. By harnessing digital outreach we are breaking down these geographical limitations, combining our passion for social mobility with our long-standing track record of technological innovation and in the process creating a tool that will remain resilient even in a socially distanced world. We are proud to have designed this online hub alongside our valued partners and hope that it will help kick-start the journey of the next generation of aspiring lawyers across the UK.” 

“As a tech company with a social mission, we have been thrilled to see so many companies stepping up in the wake of the crisis this year, to support the most disadvantaged members of society with access to opportunities,” said William Akerman, CEO and founder of MyKindaFuture. “We know that social mobility is at risk of being reversed by 10 years due to the pandemic, and to address this we simply must work together to create programs such as BCLP Potential. By choosing Connectr as their partner platform, BCLP can reach students all across the country, removing the financial and geographical limitations of an in-person program. Students will enjoy bespoke bite-sized content, providing a real insight into a career in the legal profession. I’m delighted that we are able to give young people from any background the boost they need to visualize their future within the legal sector.” 

BCLP Potential can be reached through the firm’s UK Graduate Opportunities website.

To find out more about BCLP Potential, or the firm’s wider approach toward social mobility and social outreach, contact Inclusivity@bclplaw.com. To find out more about MyKindaFuture, contact team@mykindafuture.com.