Lawyers from Yorkshire law firm Gordons will participate in a two-year mentoring programme, sharing their expertise with sixth-form students at St Aidan’s and St John Fisher Associated Sixth Form in Harrogate.
Gordons has partnered with BPP University on its Law Ambassador Programme, a mentoring scheme that pairs secondary schools with law firms to give students an insight into a career in law.
At Gordons, the mentoring partnership is being led by solicitors Alice Leslie and Jennifer Herdman, and will see 10 mentors from the firm work closely with 19 sixth-form students. Activities will include a full-day mock trial and guided trips to court.
Gordons currently employs 200 people over two offices based in Leeds and Bradford. A launch event for the scheme took place at the Leeds office in February, which gave students the opportunity to meet their mentors for the first time.
Leslie said: “Gordons has a strong reputation as a champion of young people. Our award-winning apprenticeship programme has been providing school leavers with an alternative route into the profession since 2011. We are now thrilled to be mentoring promising young people from St Aidan’s and St John Fisher over the coming years.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity for them to hone their skills and broaden their knowledge. We look forward to watching the students grow and establish their foothold in a potential career in law.”
Now in its third year, the BPP Law Ambassador Programme is a Leeds Pro Bono Centre initiative designed to teach participants about the law and help them develop key skills that firms look for in lawyers.
Commenting on the partnership with Gordons, BPP Law School schools coordinator Rebecca Blake said: “It’s fantastic to have Gordons’ generous support on our Law Ambassadors Programme. Creating links between schools and law firms means we can give young people invaluable first-hand experience of the legal profession.”
“We hope the support of Gordons’ mentors, many of whom are recent school leavers themselves, will inspire students and set them on a fulfilling career path.”
