College of Law to donate £1.25m to underprivileged students as new charity law looms: Legal Week Story
Whether or not The College of Law was prompted into this charitable donation by the prospect of investigation under the new Charities Law (infra) this is good news for diversity. (I quote from the Legal Week report: Stephen Lloyd, senior partner and head of the charity & social enterprise department at leading charity firm Bates Wells & Braithwaite, told Legal Week: “As a body charging high fees, The College of Law would be a prime candidate for investigation under the new Charities Bill, which gives charities an increasing obligation to show that they provide benefits to the public. One way to do that is to put money into increasing diversity.” )
I have for years felt that we need to make diversity in the law a major issue. High fees charged by vocational Law Schools for the LPC and BVC make studying law at this level a seriously expensive proposition leading, fairly inevitably, to a predominantly white middle class entry.
£1.25 million will go some way to promoting diversity – and that is very much in the ‘public interest’.
I will let Professor Savage have the last word on this post: “Nigel Savage, chief executive of the College of Law, said: “One of the biggest issues facing the profession is that everyone coming in is a white, middle-class kid. We are talking to law firms to get placements in London and the regions. It would be nice if it eventually led to some bursaries from firms.”
Actually… upon reflection… I will have the last words..and, rarely for me…only two words… Good stuff.