The Best Social Mobility Strategy award recognises the firm’s efforts to widen its talent pool, build a recruitment pipeline that is accessible to all, and to help upskill socially mobile students.

In their feedback, the judges commented that the firm’s progress on social mobility was “really clear and backed by student feedback”. They also commented that they “really like that [Macfarlanes] give all candidates a positive experience regardless of outcome”, reflecting the firm’s commitment to ensuring all applicants benefit from their interactions with the firm.

Catherine Morgan-Guest, Early Legal Careers Senior Manager, comments: “I am delighted that our social mobility strategy has been recognised. We’re passionate about widening participation and our aim is to make Macfarlanes an employer of choice for all talented prospective solicitors, no matter their background. While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, we know there’s always more we can do – we’re committed to continuing to build accessible routes into the law.”

In October 2022, Macfarlanes launched the Macfarlanes training scholarship in partnership with Brunel University. This scholarship provides a fully-funded and supported pathway into the profession for three socially-mobile undergraduates per year. The firm also launched the Macfarlanes bursary, open to socially-mobile undergraduates attending any UK university.