Government Legal Diversity Summer Scheme 2026 Explained

According to the Government Legal Profession on GOV.UK, more than 500 aspiring lawyers from across the UK took part in this year’s Diversity Summer Scheme, with sessions run online and in Bristol, Leeds, London and Manchester. For a lot of readers, the first useful thing to know is this: government lawyers do not sit quietly in the background dealing only with paperwork. They advise on questions that touch daily life, from public health and national security to transport, infrastructure and major policy decisions. If you have ever wondered what public service law looks like in practice, this scheme offered a clear answer. It gave students a chance to see the work up close and, just as importantly, to see themselves in it.

The scheme was aimed at students from underrepresented backgrounds, and that matters. Law still carries a reputation for being difficult to enter unless you already know the rules, know the right people or can afford to spend time building experience. Schemes like this try to narrow that gap by giving students practical tasks, professional contacts and honest conversations about the job. **What this means:** diversity work is not only about who gets into the room at the end of the process. It is also about who gets the confidence, information and encouragement much earlier on. When opportunity is shared more fairly, the profession becomes better at serving the public.

Throughout the week, students took part in advocacy exercises, a mock trade negotiation, networking sessions and periods of legal shadowing. That mix matters because government law is not only about knowing statutes and cases. It also involves explaining difficult issues clearly, working with other teams, weighing evidence quickly and understanding how legal advice fits into government decisions. For students who may not know any lawyers personally, that sort of access can change the picture. A career that once looked distant starts to feel real when you can ask questions directly, watch professionals at work and test your own skills in a supportive setting.

One of the most memorable parts of the week was a moot, which is essentially a mock court exercise. Students were split into teams, asked to analyse evidence in a fictional legal case, build arguments and present their side in just five minutes. It sounds simple on paper, but it calls for careful reading, quick thinking and the confidence to speak with purpose. That matters because advocacy is a skill you learn by doing. For many of the students, this was their first experience of formal advocacy. In other words, the scheme did not just tell them what legal work involves; it let them try a version of it for themselves.

The speakers seem to have mattered as much as the exercises. Caroline Croft, Director General of Employment with the Social Policy Group, shared that she began as a junior civil servant doing errands before retraining as a lawyer and later practising at the criminal bar. That story gives students something important to hold on to: there is no single, tidy route into law. Students also heard from Mel Nebhrajani CB, Director General for Litigation with the Justice and Security Group, about advising Ministers through moments of national importance including Brexit. Later, Douglas Wilson KC (Hon), Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department and Treasury Solicitor, answered questions on public service, career choices and what keeps people committed to work that affects everyday life. The message running through those conversations was clear: talent is not limited by social or economic background.

The student response shows why these schemes stay with people. Participant Gift Beneditha Tsenzughui described the week as rich in knowledge and experience, and said hearing how lawyers moved between sectors and departments helped her understand the range of careers available. That kind of feedback tells you the scheme was not simply inspirational in a vague way; it was useful, specific and grounded in real working lives. There is also a practical example of what can follow. Maciej Kostusiak, who joined the 2025 scheme, said it helped turn legal ambition into something more concrete. Since then, he has become a paralegal at the Government Legal Department while continuing his studies. For students reading this, that is perhaps the strongest lesson of all: a short placement cannot do everything, but it can change what you think is possible next.

The scheme was delivered with support from The Law Society, The Sutton Trust, the Society of Asian Lawyers, Black Lawyers Circle, The Social Mobility Foundation and Aspiring Solicitors. That partnership is worth noticing because widening access usually works best when institutions, professions and social mobility groups all play a part rather than acting alone. Details of the 2027 scheme will be published later for future applicants. Until then, the bigger point is easy to miss unless we say it plainly. Government law shapes public life in ways many people never see, so it matters who gets a route into that work. If public institutions are meant to serve everyone, the path into them cannot be built for only a narrow few.