City firms embraced a series of initiatives this week to encourage youngsters from non-traditional backgrounds to opt for a career in the law.

Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters teamed up with Oxford University to launch the Oxford Access Scheme, aimed at A-Level students from inner cities and ethnic minority groups.

Under the programme, 40 students will be invited to attend an open day at the firms and be offered a mentor.

They will spend a week at Oxford University shadowing law students and attending special lectures and tutorials, and will receive advice on university applications in their second year of A-Levels.

Eight City firms - the three mentioned above plus Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith, Lovells, Norton Rose and Slaughter and May - also hosted with GTI Specialist Publishers a one-day recruitment programme for 100 first-year law students from minority backgrounds this week.

The students applied on-line from 30 universities.

Meanwhile, Linklaters has signed up to a further scheme, Young Graduates for Lawyers, aimed at A-Level students from non-traditional backgrounds.

The programme, run by Global Graduates, will help 30 high-achieving students pursue a career in the law.

Linklaters managing partner Tony Angel said: 'Law firms need to attract and retain the best people from whatever background they may come.

We must - because we owe it to the communities in which we operate and because it makes good business sense - do everything we can to expand and develop the pool of talent on which we can draw.'

Yvonne Brown, chairwoman of the Black Solicitors Network, said: 'These initiatives are a positive sign - for many black and minority ethnic young people, the City is a closed world.

'I welcome any initiative that does not create another elite - but law firms should be supporting all universities that offer law degrees.

At the moment they are still going for a small group of elite students.'

Rachel Rothwell