Diversity: our trainees
Our trainee lawyers are the partners of the future – and it is vital that we invest in developing them. Many of our offices recruit trainees. For example, in 2006/7 we facilitated legal training for 500 lawyers in training – 228 trainees in London, 233 Referendare in Germany and 39 Rechtsanwaltsanwärter in Austria – as part of the officially required curriculum in the respective jurisdictions. In addition, we provided 456 future lawyers with opportunities to gain work experience as interns.
In London, we encourage our trainees to get involved in our community and pro bono programme from the moment they arrive. Trainees usually participate in a community challenge during their first few weeks, as well as our various community initiatives – the schemes at our partner primary and secondary schools are particularly popular.
Trainees are also encouraged to participate in the Tower Hamlets Legal Advice Centre, where we have been giving pro bono legal advice since 1973. Our senior partner Guy Morton volunteered here when he first joined the firm. Many too join our legal advice centres or choose to take on pro bono case work within our human rights and access to justice programmes. In 2006/7, 94 per cent of our trainees got involved in our community programme and 88 per cent in our pro bono programme. Each year four trainees in our dispute resolution department have the opportunity to take up a secondment with Liberty, the British civil liberties organisation.
Some of our future trainees at BPP Professional Education in the UK also choose to work with members of our firm on the StreetLaw project at Haggerston School for Girls in Hackney, our partner secondary school.
‘One reason I like Freshfields is because they take pro bono
as seriously as their other work. And that’s important because it’s
not just clients who gain from it. We gain so much from it, too. I help out at one
of the free legal clinics supported by Freshfields. In some respects, I feel I’m
ahead of people who haven’t had the opportunity to do pro bono because it’s
given me such a variety of experience and learning opportunities, which is one of
the reasons I’d encourage people to do it.’
Matthew Atkinson, trainee
Who are our trainees?
We have more information on our trainees in London, where the majority begin their careers.
| Trainee solicitors in our London office | Disability (per cent) | Ethnic origin (not European/white)* (per cent) |
|---|---|---|
| August 03/February 04 | 0 | 10 |
| August 04/February 05 | 0 | 11 |
| August 05/February 06 | 0 | 9 |
| August 06/February 07 | 1 | 11 |
| August 07/February 08 | 0 | 20 |
| August 08/February 09 (future trainees) | 0 | 18 |
*Where ethnic origin has been declared
Since 2001, graduates from over 60 universities worldwide have started training contracts in our London office. We welcome applications from talented non-law graduates and those changing career. Our aim is to recruit trainees who will continue their careers with us on qualification.
In September 2007, 11 per cent of our trainees and 18 per cent of our future trainees (people who have accepted training contracts for our firm) were from black and minority ethnic backgrounds; the Law Society’s target is 10 per cent.
Equal opportunities
We are an equal opportunity employer. We adopt an open-minded approach to recruitment and continuously try to improve our ability to spot talent that has not yet shown through in academic grades. We read all CVs sent to us and ask potential trainees to make a personal statement that helps us put their academic results in a broader context.
Find out more about trainees and careers at our firm at www.freshfields.com.