Students from less advantaged backgrounds require higher A-level grades than their wealthier peers to attend the UK's top law schools, according to research carried out by Clifford Chance, York Law School and The Bridge Group consultancy.
The research paper said that students from lower socio-economic groups are required to have higher A-level grades (AAB+) compared with their contemporaries from richer backgrounds. The report found that 80% of the top 20 law schools in the UK are less likely to accept those poorer students on their courses compared with their peers.
Less than a quarter of applicants to the top UK law schools come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, which is "considerably lower" than the 40% proportion of people with that background, said the report. The research highlighted that only 65% of the top UK law schools would accept vocational qualifications (such as BTECs) rather than A- levels.
The research concluded that students from less advantaged households are half as likely to attend the UK's elite law schools than their peers. The researchers said admission and access to law school matters because "the legal profession remains dominated by people from higher socio-economic backgrounds, especially within leading law firms and in the judiciary."
Spot the ones off to law school
The report made various recommendations, including suggestions that law schools should review their own admission data to assess whether applicants from less advantaged backgrounds have an equal chance of success and explore the reasons for any inequalities.
"It is surprising that applicants from lower socio-economic neighbourhoods need higher A-level grades," said Dr Penelope Griffin, a director at the Bridge Group. "We recommend that law schools investigate the impact of their admissions requirements and processes."
Laura Yeates, Head of Graduate Talent at Clifford Chance said the Magic Circle firm had "worked hard to understand the context in which a candidate’s experience has been gained and to identify outperformers from the widest talent pool." She added "this research highlights how much more both the university sector and employers still need to do to level the playing field."
Comments
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"It is surprising that applicants from lower socio-economic neighbourhoods need higher A-level grades,"
No, no it is not. Pay to win mechanics abound in education and then everyone sits around scratching their heads and wondering why there is so much division in society and angry poor people feeling marginalised.
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This wouldn't be a surprise of it was snooty city law firms (who seem to hire preppy people from the 'right' backgrounds), but Law Schools? Surely those who educate the profession are slightly more enlightened than this...
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How does a law school know your socio-economic background?
Also I am confused by this:
"Less than a quarter of applicants to the top UK law schools come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, which is "considerably lower" than the 40% proportion of people with that background, said the report."
Lower socio-economic background is statistically correlated with lower intelligence and lower academic attainment (on average). So this is surely exactly what one would expect. Or am I missing something?
PS For the hard of thinking, I am not saying all poor people are dim, or all toffs are clever. Obviously not.
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"The research paper said that students from lower socio-economic groups are required to have higher A-level grades (AAB+) compared with their contemporaries from richer backgrounds."
This is surprising and sad if true. There's no reason why entrance requirements themselves should be different between individuals.
To work out whether this is true or just a Guardian headline, it would be interesting to know what the comparison is - AAB+ for those from lower socio-economic groups compared to what for those from richer backgrounds? And with what statistical margin for error?
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How does a law school know your socio-economic background?
___________________________________________________________________
maybe they can read an address?
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What exactly is an 'elite law school? This isn't America; law schools here are mass-market exercises in hoop-jumping so you can move on to get an actual job.
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Perhaps the maths works out like this. Top firms send their future trainees to top law schools. Let's say that's 60% of the people in top law schools. The rest (lesser firms and people paying for it themselves) could be made up in perfect proportion the the population. If the top firms are only recruiting middle class and above then there's the reason for the skewing of the people in law school away from lower socio economic.
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Broadly speaking, you don't need to see a candidate's résumé to determine his/her socioeconomic status. There are myriad signs - elocution, vocabulary, confidence, posture, teeth, dress, etc. There's only so much you do about this stuff. Closing the independent schools to artificially shrink this gap won't work.
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Anonymous 18 July 20 19:47: spot on. To that list of socio-economic indicators I would add names. If you are called Ryan or Hannah, chances are you are from a very different background from Charles or Isabella.