Access Ashurst 2026/27
Ashurst
Apply NowA paid two-week legal placement in London with Ashurst plus Year 13 mentoring-designed for state-eligible Year 12 students. Applications open 7 Oct 2025; limited places available.
Access Ashurst is a targeted outreach and work-experience programme run by Ashurst for state-eligible students in their penultimate year of secondary school. The core offering is a paid two-week legal placement at the start of the summer holidays alongside a mentoring and skills-development programme that runs through Year 13.
Week 1 of the placement is spent at Ashurst’s London office (insight into firm life and legal work); Week 2 places participants at five different organisations through the Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP) to broaden understanding of the legal and business sectors. Successful participants also receive a mentor during Year 13 to support university or job applications.
The programme is aimed at Year 12 (England/Wales), S5 (Scotland) or Lower Sixth (Northern Ireland) students who meet PRIME eligibility (state-funded school or 100% bursary at independent school) and one or more widening-participation criteria. Up to 24 places are available.
Applications open 7 October 2025 and close 7 January 2026 at midday. Apply via Ashurst's Access Ashurst page or contact the Social Impact team at socialimpact@ashurst. com for questions.
07 Oct 2025
07 Jan 2026
Location
- Be in your penultimate year of secondary school (Year 12 in England or Wales; S5 in Scotland; Lower Sixth in Northern Ireland) or equivalent.
- Attend a state-funded, non-fee paying school/college, or attend a fee-paying school on a 100% means-tested bursary.
- Currently or previously been in local authority care.
- Currently in receipt of, or previously received, free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or 16 to 19 Bursary.
- Currently or previously a full-time or part-time carer.
- Have come to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker.
- Grew up in a household where the occupation of the main earner is categorised as a routine or manual occupation (see PRIME parental-occupation guidance).
- Attend a state school or college with below average A-level/Higher point score and/or a low rate of progression to higher education (see PRIME eligibility criteria).
- Grew up in a household where no parent or guardian attended university.
Paid two-week legal placement (amount not specified). Plus mentoring and skill-development support throughout Year 13.
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