Osborne Clarke secures a top 10 ranking in the 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index

Osborne Clarke has ranked 7^th in the 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index (SMEI), jumping 12 places from the firm's last ranking in 2023 to enter the top ten for the first time.

Launched in 2017, the Social Mobility Employer Index is the leading benchmark on employer-led social mobility. Employers in the index are scored in eight sections, and Osborne Clarke ranked in the top five in three of these: Routes into Employment; Pay, progression and retention; and Attraction and Post-18 Outreach. The other categories are Pre-18 Outreach; Recruitment and Selection; Data Collection; Culture and Internal Advocacy; and External Advocacy.

Osborne Clarke performed particularly well in several key areas:

• Osborne Clarke has reported its class pay gap since 2024, taking a data-driven approach to its diversity and inclusion strategy.
• Osborne Clarke's solicitor apprenticeship programme continues to provide accessible routes into law and develops socially mobile junior talent within the firm.
• The firm also maintains a strong focus on outreach at both post-18 and pre-18 levels. This includes The Bridge, a programme designed to bridge the gap between education and the world of work by providing structured, high quality careers and employability sessions, work experience opportunities and mentoring for secondary school students from under-represented backgrounds.
• This year, Osborne Clarke welcomed its biggest cohort yet on the OC Talent Programme which ran across its Bristol and London offices. Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds benefit from a week's work experience in our offices and a senior and junior mentor for a year following the programme.

Victoria Parry, Partner, Chair of the Diversity Champion's Forum and Executive Sponsor for D&I, commented:

“Enabling social mobility sits at the heart of Osborne Clarke's values, so this top 10 ranking is an incredibly valuable confirmation that we're doing the right things. Like every business, we're on a journey when it comes to helping our employees thrive regardless of their backgrounds and this ranking will spur us on to create even greater access to opportunities via our responsible business framework, Osborne Clarke for Good."

 

View the full Top 75 Employer Index here