Diversity: our trainees

'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 (now an associate), speaking as a trainee

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 but the largest group is based in our office in London.

Community and pro bono involvement

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 in 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 and we estimate some 40 per cent of our current partners in London have been involved with the centre at some time during their career here – mainly when they were trainees.

Many also join our other legal advice centres or choose to take on pro bono case work within our human rights and access to justice programmes. Each year four trainees have the opportunity to take up a secondment with Liberty, the British civil liberties organisation, and two with the Free Representation Unit. In 2009 we are sending two trainees for a three-month secondment to Oxfam UK.

We also offer support to those of our future trainees who opt to spend six months working for Reprieve, an organisation that supports prisoners on Death Row in the US.

Promoting diversity

In the last few years, 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.

^{1 Future trainees}

^{1 Where ethnic origin has been declared}

We are pleased to see that we have exceeded the Law Society's target of 10 per cent for trainees and future trainees (people who have accepted training contracts for our firm) from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

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.