Diversity: developing and reaching new talent

‘We have a responsibility to invest in the next generation, to help young people from all backgrounds to improve their skills and develop their potential – it is vital to sustaining our own success and the success of other businesses and the societies we live and work in. In a fast-changing world where demand for talented people and imaginative solutions is high, we have a particular responsibility to our own profession to ensure a wider range of people take up commercial law.’
Hugh Crisp, partner with responsibility for diversity

We recruit from around the world. We also invest time and effort in attracting and developing future talent in our London office, where the majority of our people are based.

Encouraging more black and minority ethnic people and people from a range of backgrounds into our law firm

In London, we are involved with a variety of organisations and programmes designed to develop potential candidates, break down misconceptions about professional services firms and attract applicants from a range of backgrounds. We support initiatives designed to help people from black and minority ethnic groups to enter the legal profession, such as Target Chances, or those from ‘nontraditional’ backgrounds, such as Pure Potential. We were the first City firm to support the Diversity in Law scheme, through which we have recruited two trainee solicitors.

We promote ourselves in publications aimed at black and minority ethnic people and are pleased that we have seen an increase in the proportion of black and minority ethnic people joining us as trainee solicitor recruits, to 18 per cent.

In 2006/7, in association with Brent Council and The Learning Trust in Hackney, we hosted the launch and graduation of the Black Leadership programme for 150 pupils from schools in these areas. The programme aimed to equip young black students from disadvantaged areas with the skills and motivation to make better personal and career choices.

Future initiatives designed to make the commercial legal profession more diverse

In 2008, we will be supporting the Sutton Trust’s Pathways to Law initiative, which is designed to attract fresh talent to the legal profession by targeting students from state schools who will be the first in their family to attend university and whose parents are in non-professional occupations. We expect to provide work experience to five people through this scheme in 2008 and more going forward.

In 2008, we will also be supporting the City Solicitors’ Educational Trust’s Summer School, which aims to recruit a wider range of people into the commercial legal profession by working with non-Russell Group universities.

In the same vein, in 2008 we will be offering places on our summer vacation scheme to undergraduates involved in the Sponsorship for Educational Opportunities scheme.

Working with schools and work experience

One of the main themes of our community investment programme is improving the skills and raising the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the hope that this will have a positive effect on these individuals’ lives and benefit our own firm and other employers in both London and the other cities where we are located.

In London, we work closely with Haggerston School for Girls in Hackney, the UK Career Academy Foundation and Redlands Primary School in Tower Hamlets.

Providing work experience is also an important part of our community and diversity programmes in London, as it helps to improve young people’s understanding of the world of work and our profession in particular. Each year, we host work placements for 20 homeless people and for around 10 students from local schools in Hackney and from the UK Career Academy Foundation.

We expanded our placement programme in 2007 to include individuals from the National Autistic Society’s Prospects employment and training service, teachers on the Teach First programme and a community affairs trainee from Tower Hamlets.

‘I really appreciate the experience. The skills and knowledge which I have gained will not only help me in college but will benefit me in the future. I have learned so much about myself and what my strengths and weaknesses are. You have been very supportive and understanding. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and everything I learned about the business, how to work in a professional atmosphere and what it is to be a real employee has taught me about the world of work.’
Student with the UK Career Academy Foundation after their six week placement.

Working with universities

In seeking to attract a diverse range of the most talented students, our graduate recruitment department sponsors a variety of university and college law society and careers department events, send speakers and staff to address groups of students, run workshops and host open days.

In addition, we help several major universities sponsor students on exchange years and support careers events with university law/careers department services. We also offer material support to several major universities to support IT systems, sponsor students on exchange years and help with other aspects of university law/careers department services.