Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to tell lawyers they must open up the doors of their cloistered legal world to people from a wider range of backgrounds.

The Liberal Democrat leader will tell members of the profession they need to "do better" in ensuring their world is not dominated by white, middle-aged men.

Mr Clegg has turned over his diary to a series of events today aimed at improving social mobility in Britain.

At a dinner he will say: "A fair society is an open society - and the professions urgently need to be opened up.

"The legal profession has made some progress, but not enough. You have to do better. You have to open your doors wider.

"Your profession judges and represents people in court - so it should represent them in membership too."

Funding will be doubled to £1 million for a project that tasks recent graduates with going into schools to talk to pupils about going to university, as well as explaining the controversial tuition fees system.

He will also be involved in the Speakers for Schools project, which aims to give every pupil at every school the chance to hear from and question high-profile and inspirational speakers.

He will say: "Every Cabinet minister in the coalition has also signed up to go and speak in a state school, as part of the Speakers for Schools initiative.

"Private schools benefit from a revolving door of outside speakers, who give their time to come in and challenge and inspire the pupils."