Yorkshire law graduates are being given the opportunity to complete their training with local businesses as an alternative to law firm training contracts under a new scheme developed in the region.
The collaboration between the region’s universities and Yorkshire businesses has been trailblazed by Harrogate-based Haddleton Legal and is designed to encourage more new lawyers to consider a career in-house.
The initiative was showcased at a special event for businesses and students at BPP Law School in Leeds on 12 June, where James Haddleton of Haddleton Legal spoke about the benefits and opportunities for both businesses and students.
Haddleton said: “There are clear benefits for students but the advantages for businesses are huge.”
“Growing companies have the benefit of a full-time lawyer on their team with a senior in-house lawyer on call to support them with any issues that might arise, however complex.”
“As a result, the business will have a full-time trainee lawyer on their team, who will be brought up to understand their business, with the back-up of a highly experienced lawyer to provide up to date advice on issues such as GDPR, compliance, employment contracts and IP.”
Employers attending the event included SAP, Leeds City Council, the Association of Costs Lawyers, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Care Quality Commission, HESCO, Ilke Homes, IDHL, Social Work England, Jet2, Zenith and F-Lex.
Post-graduate and undergraduate law students attended from BPP, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Trinity University and the Universities of Leeds, York, Huddersfield, Sheffield and Bradford.
Kate Bassett of BPP Law School said: “So many businesses identify the acquisition of talented employees as their number one headache and we feel this is a new approach to help them attract candidates with keen legal minds to consider a range of non-traditional legal roles.”
“National and regional businesses will be attending, offering a range of short-term paid internships across legal, compliance, data protection, IT and more.”
The opportunities available include flexible, CV building experiences for UK and international students looking to qualify as solicitors, barristers or paralegals, as well as longer term opportunities such as training contracts or alternative career options within a business.
