This document summarizes key findings from a study exploring how legal work experience impacts access to the legal profession and the development of professional identity. The study found that students from more affluent backgrounds were more likely to obtain early and ongoing legal work experience. Formal vacation schemes were highly structured assessments that evaluated interpersonal and "soft" skills in addition to academic performance. The study suggests legal education should provide students with career guidance, support developing employability skills, and critically examine how the profession is reproduced to enhance access.

1. ACCESS TO LEGAL WORK EXPERIENCE – LESSONS FOR LEGAL EDUCATION Andrew Francis & Hilary Sommerlad Learning in Law Annual Conference 2010