Working with schools and work experience

One of the main themes of our community investment programme is improving the skills, and raising the aspirations and motivation of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We believe this will have a positive effect on the  lives of these young people as well as benefiting 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, the sixth form at Cardinal Pole RC School in Hackney, Career Academies UK and Redlands Primary School in Tower Hamlets.

Work experience

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.

In 2008, we provided work experience for three people through the Teach First scheme. These students, from Cardinal Pole School, were specifically interested in law. We have also provided pre-Oxbridge interview practice to pupils at the school and an introduction to law session.

We expanded our placement programme in 2007 to include individuals from the National Autistic Society's Prospects Employment and Training Service, to teachers on the Teach First programme, and to a community affairs trainee from Tower Hamlets. We continue to support these initiatives and have just recruited our second teacher from the Teach First scheme as a future trainee solicitor.

Additionally, in 2008, our CSR team began working with people on our placement schemes to create two intranets with online training: one for people on work experience and the other for the people who manage them on a day-to-day basis. We want to ensure these schemes are beneficial for the newcomers, and for the supervisors in terms of management experience. This, in turn, will feed into internal management training and development initiatives.

'It's a challenge, it makes you realise your potential. It boosts your confidence that a firm like this is prepared to give you an opportunity. It builds your confidence and makes you aim higher.'
Ivy Van-Yeboah (student, Career Academy UK)

Working with universities

In seeking to attract a diverse range of the most talented students, our trainee recruitment department sponsors a variety of university and college law society and careers department events. It also sends speakers and staff to address groups of students, runs workshops and hosts open days.

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