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Macfarlanes associate Tiffany Cox discusses her move into law and her work in the firm’s ESG working group

With applications for Macfarlanes’ training contract and vacation scheme programmes now open, Legal Cheek Careers sits down with associate Tiffany Cox to discuss her journey into law and what commercial awareness issues students should keep an eye out for.

Deciding to pursue university education a few years after working a full-time job straight out of school, Cox had an unconventional route to legal practice. She excelled at her LLB at the University of Kent, and went on to complete her training contract at Macfarlanes. Fast-forward to today, and Cox is a founding member of the firm’s ESG (environmental, social, and governance) working group alongside juggling her busy investment funds work.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and your journey leading into law?

I took a slightly longer/less conventional journey into law after leaving college following (terrible results in) my AS levels. At the time, I wasn’t particularly interested in pursuing higher education and instead wanted to start earning money through a full-time job. After working for a few years, I returned to college to complete an Access to Higher Education course. I achieved much better results than a few years prior thanks to my renewed drive to learn. That drive continued during my studies at the University of Kent where I achieved a first-class honours in law (LLB), finishing fifth in my cohort.

After graduating, I worked for a couple of years at a legal directory before coming across Rare Recruitment. Rare supported me throughout the application and assessment process for Macfarlanes and I delightfully accepted a training contract offer starting in 2016.

Why did you want to become a lawyer and, more specifically, work in investment funds?

I wanted to become a lawyer because I enjoy the challenge associated with the technical aspects of legal practice, both navigating complex rules and regulations and framing legal advice in a way that is practical for a particular client. I like that there is always something new to learn, given that the law and market practice are constantly evolving.

I was keen to qualify into our investment management practice because I enjoyed learning about, and working on, fund structures during my training contract. No single fund structure and strategy is exactly the same, and I joined the practice at a particularly exciting juncture in the funds market as the “retail-isation” of private assets was starting to take shape. I could see a huge opportunity to develop and shape my legal career within this practice area.

Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment

Why did you want to become a lawyer and, more specifically, work in investment funds?

I wanted to become a lawyer because I enjoy the challenge associated with the technical aspects of legal practice, both navigating complex rules and regulations and framing legal advice in a way that is practical for a particular client. I like that there is always something new to learn, given that the law and market practice are constantly evolving.

I was keen to qualify into our investment management practice because I enjoyed learning about, and working on fund, structures during my training contract. No single fund structure and strategy is exactly the same, and I joined the practice at a particularly exciting juncture in the funds market as the “retail-isation” of private assets was starting to take shape. I could see a huge opportunity to develop and shape my legal career within this practice area.

Applications for Macfarlanes’ 2024 vacation scheme close on 5 January 2024

What does your typical day tend to look like?

My working day starts on my commute when I catch up on market/regulatory developments, often reading a consultation paper or industry newsletters. I arrive at the office around 9:30am and spend the first 10 minutes catching up with my trainee (we share an office) to agree our priority deliverables for the day.

After checking my emails for anything urgent that’s come in overnight, I’ll start my workday properly. This varies each day, sometimes I’ll be researching an area of law, answering a query from a client, reviewing draft documents prepared by my trainee (e.g. a regulatory disclosure or investor communication) or speaking with clients over a call.

I’ll grab lunch from our office canteen with colleagues (ideally sitting outside on one of our office balconies, weather permitting!) before continuing in the afternoon to complete my deliverables for the day. I aim to leave the office between 6-7pm so that I can grab dinner with my husband and, when I have urgent matters, I’ll sometimes log back in at around 9pm to check on these.

You are a founding member of Macfarlanes’ ESG Group. Can you tell us how the firm has adapted in response to the increasing focus on ESG factors?

The increasing focus on ESG factors by stakeholders and investors, along with the rapidly evolving ESG regulatory landscape, has prompted us to adapt our legal advice across all our practice areas — so that we can deliver integrated ESG advice.

Macfarlanes also provides support to help its people ‘upskill’ in various ESG specialisms. For example, the firm supported me in completing a sustainable finance course at the University of Cambridge so that I could better advise my fund manager clients on developing ESG-related strategies.

Our cross-departmental ESG Working Group is an essential forum to share knowledge in this space and ensure that we’re providing our clients with holistic support and protecting them from a regulatory, commercial, and reputational perspective.

Applications for Macfarlanes’ September 2026 training contract close on 19 July 2024

What are some of the key commercial awareness issues that should be on students’ radars now?

The focus on ESG factors and ensuring an organisation is not ‘greenwashing’ is a key consideration for any business. Every business needs to be mindful to respond to the demands of its investors and/or stakeholders in relation to ESG factors in a way that does not overstate its ESG credentials in practice, given the increased regulatory scrutiny in this area.

The advancement of legal technology is another key issue that should be on students’ radars. Clients are constantly seeking ways to streamline their operations and service provision, and legal advice is no exception. A key feature in our proposals to pitch for new work is the (often bespoke) legal technology that we can offer clients thanks to our lawtech practice.

What advice would you give to future lawyers hoping to follow a similar path to you?

Keep on top of the evolution of the market that you’re interested in by reading industry news and following organisations that are leaders in the space. Succeeding in any practice area requires lawyers to keep on top of the law in practice, as well as what’s written in the rule books.

I’d also recommend taking the time to better understand the firm(s) you are interested in by reading around the graduate/early legal careers section of their website. For example, read articles/blogs published by a firm’s lawyers to learn more about which areas of law their fee-earners are focusing on.

Finally, it’s never too early to pursue opportunities that will make your CV ‘well rounded’. So, apply for relevant work experience, join committees of interest, and pursue hobbies as early as possible.

Finally, what do you enjoy most about working at Macfarlanes?

The culture and people at Macfarlanes are big selling points. I work with a great team of incredibly intelligent, kind and supportive lawyers and business service experts that are a joy to be around. I also enjoy the opportunities presented by the firm and my practice area. The firm provides flexibility and support to design your own career path and, as a result, I’ve been able to develop my expertise and profile more rapidly than I could have anticipated, making a name for myself in certain aspects of my practice area at a relatively early stage in my legal career.

Meet Macfarlanes at Legal Cheek’s Virtual Law Fair on 10 October (2-5pm). Sign up now

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All permanent deals

Macfarlanes has chalked up a strong autumn retention rate with 25 of its 26 final seat trainees committing their futures to the firm.

With all 25 on permanent deals, this hands the Silver Circle player a score of 96%.

“We’re delighted that 96% of our autumn qualifiers will be staying on with us,” said Catherine Morgan-Guest, early legal careers senior manager. “At Macfarlanes, we recruit people to build long and successful careers and our trainees are very much the future of our firm.”

The 2023 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows Macs recruits around 33 trainees each year on starting salary £50,000. This rises to a recently improved £115,000 upon qualification.

Jat Bains, early legal careers partner, added:

“Congratulations to our latest cohort of qualifying lawyers. Our people are the key to our success and we’re committed to investing in their development.”

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City law firm Macfarlanes has increased salaries for its newly qualified (NQ) associates in London.

Junior lawyer pay now sits at £115,000, plus individual and firmwide bonuses. This marks a 7% uplift from £107,500.

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows Macs now offers the same NQ base rate as Slaughter and May, which we reported yesterday had opted to keep NQ salaries as they are (for now) following a recent review. This move came despite the firm now being the only member of the Magic Circle not to offer newbie associates a salary of £125,000.

Macfarlanes recruits around 33 trainees each year on a starting salary of £50,000, rising to £55,000 in year two.

Earlier this year it recorded a perfect 100% spring retention score with all six trainees staying put on permanent deals.

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Making it to a top City firm is not easy. Every year tens of thousands of applicants compete for a limited number of training contracts. We spoke to Catherine Morgan-Guest, early legal careers senior manager at Macfarlanes, about how the firm is working to provide more opportunities to individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds.

The Macfarlanes training scholarship

“At Macfarlanes, we want to find and recruit a broad range of talented people, but we understand that not every trainee enters the training programme at a level playing field,” begins Catherine. “Even after university, some have financial pressures like very high student loans or supporting dependent family members.”

Macfarlanes has launched a new training scholarship which provides financial support, mentoring and paid work experience to three Brunel University students each year.

“With the scholarship, we wanted to do our best to provide an accessible and fully-funded route into the profession,” says Catherine. In addition to full coverage of their university tuition fees and paid work experience, Macfarlanes will offer each scholar a paid placement year at the firm. This would count towards their mandatory two-year Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) under the more flexible route offered by the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

The application process for the scholarship is very similar to the firm’s vacation scheme. “Essentially we are picking students to be future trainees at the firm. The application process therefore also includes an assessment day with a business case study, a written exercise and an interview,” explains Catherine.

The Macfarlanes bursary

To address socio-economic barriers that might discourage students from accessing the legal profession, Macfarlanes also has three types of grants available as part of its bursary, designed to address some of the financial demands of being a student.

“Access to technology is a hurdle we witnessed first-hand while running our vacation scheme virtually during the pandemic,” says Catherine. “We realised that some students do not have good quality technology that will allow them to perform on par with others.” The firm’s technology grant is for students on any undergraduate course at a UK university who may need support accessing technology such as a laptop or stable Wi-Fi connection.

The accommodation grant makes it possible for students outside London to participate in Macfarlanes’ vacation scheme and first-year insight scheme. “A lot of students are put off from applying to London firms if they reside elsewhere and cannot afford accommodation for the duration of the programme,” continues Catherine. “The accommodation grant has been instituted to ensure equal access to our programmes.”

There is also a participation grant available for students who may need to miss work to attend a firm-hosted event. “A lot of us worked part-time while at university,” reflects Catherine. “We are conscious of the financial pressures faced by working students and do not want to put them in a position where they have to choose between meeting us and earning money.” Applications for the participation grant are open throughout the year.

The Macfarlanes trainee experience app

“We think it’s important to offer equal access to opportunities for all students regardless of location,” Catherine tells us. With this in mind, the firm launched the Macfarlanes training experience, an app which allows students to experience life as a trainee in real time. Developed by the firm’s early legal careers and lawtech teams, the app lets students access mock trainee tasks from different practice areas, including corporate and M&A, private client, litigation and dispute resolution and finance.

“Students from anywhere can download and access our app to do mock tasks they will be expected to do as a trainee,” says Catherine. “There are currently four practice area exercises and we are soon starting a webinar series that will allow students to reflect on how they can improve their answers in these exercises.” The app is available for download in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

The Macfarlanes lawtech graduate scheme

“Our opportunities are not just for those looking to become a qualified solicitor,” says Catherine. For tech-minded final-year students and graduates, Macfarlanes’ lawtech graduate scheme might be a good opportunity to consider.

Successful candidates get a chance to spend two years in the firm’s lawtech team. Throughout the programme, they will gain experience of artificial intelligence, collaborative technologies, process automation and robotics, expert systems, knowledge management systems, data visualisation, project management tools and a host of other legal technologies. At the end of the scheme, graduates are offered permanent roles as ‘legal technology and innovation officers’ at the firm.

Macfarlanes is recruiting final-year students and graduates for its September intake. The applications can be accessed here and are open until 26 March.

The first-year skills development initiative

“We wanted to develop another way to reach talented students from non-Russell Group universities,” says Catherine, and the Macfarlanes first-year skills development programme does exactly that.

The programme is aimed at high-performing first-year students from seven non-Russell group universities: the universities of Bedfordshire, East Anglia, Greenwich, Kent, London South Bank, West London and Worcester. Once selected, the students undertake a week-long work placement with Macfarlanes in the summer between their first and second year of university.

During this work placement, students get a chance to develop the skills they need to succeed in vacation scheme and training programme applications. The programme involves mock negotiation and presentation exercises, as well as skills workshops addressing topics like commercial awareness.

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Macfarlanes will retain all six trainees due to qualify next month, giving the firm a 100% retention score for spring 2023.

The newly qualified (NQ) solicitors all join on permanent contracts and will see their salaries more than double from when they started as trainees at the firm two years ago, from £50,000 to £107,500.

Macfarlanes did not disclose the departments the NQs will join upon qualification.

Jat Bains, early legal careers partner at Macfarlanes, commented:

“Our trainees are the future of our firm, and we recruit, train and retain them with an eye to the long term. We are confident that this cohort of talented lawyers will make a strong contribution and we look forward to seeing them reach their full potential.”

Macfarlanes regularly retains the majority, if not all, of its qualifying trainees. The firm provides 33 training contracts every year, with the majority of its intake qualifying in the autumn.

Catherine Morgan-Guest, early legal careers senior manager at Macfarlanes, added: “Congratulations to our March qualifiers. Macfarlanes has a reputation for quality and our training programme is no exception — our commitment to developing our trainees is woven into every aspect of life at the firm.”

In our latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey the outfit scored an A* for training and As for partner approachability, eco-friendliness, and peer support.

Macfarlanes is now the third Silver Circle law firm to reveal its spring retention score. Travers Smith and Ashurst have already announced scores of 75% (6 out of 8) and 84% (16 out of 19) respectively.

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The results are in! Legal Cheek’s exclusive survey reveals the law firms with the highest scores for training and quality of work.

The Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey 2022-23 questioned over 2,000 trainees and junior associates on what life is like at the UK’s leading law firms, with a handful of firms scoring an A* in the training and quality of work categories.

Respondents rated the training they’ve received on a scale of 1 to 10 — with 1 being ‘very poor’ and 10 being ‘excellent’. Similarly, respondents rated the quality of work from ‘not at all stimulating’ to ‘highly stimulating’. Firms are then scored from A* to D on the Legal Cheek Insider Scorecard for each category.

With these two categories being the centrepiece of a training contract, achieving the highest possible grade is a sure-fire way to attract the attention of training contract seekers.

A total of six law firms scored A*s and feature in the shortlist for both categories: Burges Salmon, CMS, Farrer & Co, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Below are the results listed alphabetically:

Best law firms for training 2023

Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Burges Salmon, CMS, Clifford Chance, Dentons, Farrer & Co, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, Mayer Brown, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke, Pinsent Masons, RPC, Shoosmiths, Slaughter and May, TLT, Travers Smith and Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Best law firms for quality of work 2023

Akin Gump, Burges Salmon, CMS, Farrer & Co, Forsters, Hogan Lovells, Latham & Watkins, Lewis Silkin, Mills & Reeve, Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke, Ropes & Gray, Shakespeare Martineau, Shearman & Sterling, White & Case and Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Through submitting anonymous comments in the survey, respondents could expand on their scores to give further insight into their experiences at their firm. Here is a selection of comments from some of the above firms:

How would you describe the training you have received?

“People are interested in your day to day development as well as the broader picture of how you develop key skills as a junior lawyer. There is an active effort to keep you from doing too much of the same thing. Everyone has so much time for trainees and you can tell they take real enjoyment and supervision and teaching.”

“Training is consistent, well planned and practical.”

“The continued support and guidance has really helped my ability to move between different departments smoothy, understand the areas of law I’d like to work in and provide career guidance for the next steps to qualification.”

“Very high end. I’ve been working directly with very senior people since I started. I’m allowed to make tasks my own and take ownership of them which I’m very pleased about. I’ve developed hugely in a short period of time.”

“Supervisors and the wider teams are genuinely invested in the provision and quality of training (largely because we are seen as the future of the firm).”

How stimulating is the work you are given?

“Throughout my training contract there has been a recognition of when I’ve been reaching my comfort zone and a constant effort to keep pushing me further whilst supporting me at the same time. I have been able to run my own matters and take real ownership over pieces of work.”

“Trainees get involved in top work from day one. No photocopying or printing!”

“As a trainee I have received a broad range of work from the more classic “trainee” tasks to leading workstreams, drafting contracts and leading on client calls.”

“I’ve been given a broad range of contentious and non-contentious work. The breadth of work includes drafting documents, assisting on the signing process for large scale transactions and preparing documents for court hearings.”

“The work is overall of great quality and there is lots of trust from the team.”

The winning law firm in each category will be announced at The Legal Cheek Awards 2023, sponsored by BARBRI and BPP University Law School, on Tuesday 14 March.

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City law firm Macfarlanes has announced the launch of a new training scholarship in partnership with Brunel University.

The scholarship, which aims to breakdown any socio-economic barriers that discourage talented students from joining the legal profession, will cover the full cost of university tuition fees, alongside paid work experience and a paid placement year at the firm.

In addition to all this, successful scholars are “highly likely” to become trainees, with the firm explaining that the scholarship should be considered as “equivalent to the award of a training contract”. Trainee numbers are being expanded to accommodate the scholars so there will be no impact on other applicants.

The tie-up will see the firm support three Brunel law students annually.

Senior partner, Sebastian Prichard Jones said:

“In common with many organisations, we have been thinking carefully about how best to attract a much broader range of talented students and this targeted programme is one of the concrete steps we have taken. The aim of our programme with Brunel is that through financial support, mentoring and paid work experience at the firm, our scholars will be supported from their first year all the way through to becoming qualified solicitors at the firm, and our partners of the future.”

Macfarlanes also offers financial support to socially-mobile undergraduates studying any subject at university in the UK. Its bursary scheme includes three grants covering access to technology, funding for the costs of missing work when attending a Macfarlanes event, and paying for accommodation whilst undergoing work experience with the firm.

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As many embark on the beginning of their legal careers at various law firms, Legal Cheek has sought out advice from some the UK’s top lawyers.

Having survived law school and the trials and tribulations of obtaining a training contract, starting life out as a trainee lawyer is an exciting, yet daunting experience. Newbies often have questions such as “how can I make the most of all the opportunities on offer?” and “how do I deal with the pressure of securing an NQ position?” lingering in the backs of their minds.

So we asked those who have been through the process and gone on to enjoy high-flying legal careers what advice they would give themselves if they were starting a training contract now. Here’s what they had to say:

Camilla Sanger, trainee recruitment partner at Slaughter and May

“I would tell my younger self just how important it is to be authentic. Firms aren’t looking for someone to fit a standard mould, they don’t want people who are robotic in the way that they interview or conduct themselves. Embracing my differences and being my natural self at work has helped me to get where I am today — strong Yorkshire accent and all.

I would also encourage my younger self not to be scared of being the first, or one of the first, to do something. For example, I chose to have a child before joining the partnership which, at the time, wasn’t something many others had done. If you don’t have a role model for what you want to do or achieve, don’t let it put you off trying. You could become that role model for someone else.”

Ruchit Patel, graduate recruitment partner at Ropes & Gray

“This is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the journey. Remember to be civil, respectful, and kind to everyone around you. Careers are long and you see people again. Your training contract is over in the blink of an eye. Have fun.”

Edmund Reed, managing partner at Travers Smith

“Learn everything you can from those around you – that is key – but don’t try and be them as that never works. Use what you have learnt but be yourself.”

Fionnghuala Griggs, corporate M&A and trainee recruitment partner at Linklaters

“I would tell my younger self to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities and challenges, even when it feels daunting or means going outside your comfort zone. You never know where that new challenge will lead you, and the skills you gain from pushing yourself and trying something new are incredibly helpful for a career in law, especially in an environment of fast-paced change and innovation.

I would also say that it is never too soon to invest time in developing and maintaining the network of relationships you build with colleagues, clients and co-advisers over the course of a career — for me, that is one of the most rewarding parts of this profession and something that you can factor into your career from the very beginning.”

Edward Brown, partner at Hogan Lovells

“I would advise the younger me to keep an open mind about what sort of law you like and where you want to qualify. As a trainee I had my heart set on qualifying into competition, and didn’t engage as fully with my other three seats as I ought to have done as a result. At qualification, four candidates applied for one competition job, and I was one of the three unsuccessful ones.

I picked-up a job in pensions — a seat I had never sat in and knew nothing about — in the 2nd round of qualification jobs as I wanted to stay at the firm (and I had debts to pay!). I thought if I hate pensions I will leave after six months. Seven and a half years later I was the first trainee in my intake to become a partner… So keep an open mind as you never know where your career may take you!”

Iain White, partner at Clifford Chance

“Ensure that you understand the role of a trainee. Be curious, interested and proactive in seeking out information to build the foundations of your knowledge which will support you for the rest of your career. Keep an open mind about where your career can go and what work is right for you. Embrace challenges as an opportunity to learn.”

Jat Bains, finance and graduate recruitment partner at Macfarlanes

“I would encourage new trainees to seize every opportunity that comes their way with confidence and energy. The more that you do, the more you will learn and develop as a lawyer.”

James Partridge, graduate recruitment partner at Allen & Overy

“Be open minded about the different seats and areas of law you will experience as a trainee. There is a lot you don’t know when you start out. Take every opportunity to do research and develop your legal and practical knowledge — the things you learn early in your career stay with you. You will make mistakes, try and learn from them and don’t catastrophise!”

Michael Cavers, early talent partner at CMS

“Get involved in BD [business development] as soon as you can. A good relationship between a client and a firm needs people at all levels to be making connections. And people who are junior at a client will move up the ranks with you and may be your main clients when you are more senior.

Leverage your trainee cohort. Your friends and peers will be able to share experience and make connections so don’t be afraid to take advantage of a ready-made network. Don’t set out to compete with your fellow trainees. Focus on doing the best job you can.

Try to get a broad range of experience across different practice areas, even if you think you might not enjoy them. Working in an area of law is generally nothing like studying that area at law school or university, so don’t have too many preconceptions.

Don’t be scared to give input on the challenges facing the legal industry. The trainees are the future of any firm. And on issues like legal technology, mental health and the modern working environment, trainees bring a fresh perspective and the opportunity to challenge the status quo.”

Do you have any advice for those starting their TCs? Share your top tips and experiences in the comments below!

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City law firm Macfarlanes has increased the salaries of its newly qualified (NQ) associates by 7.5%, Legal Cheek can reveal.

The firm’s most junior lawyers will now earn a base rate £107,500, up from a previous figure of £100,000. The cash injection sees Macs’ NQs draw level with their counterparts at the likes of Allen & Overy, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters and Reed Smith.

The silver circle player said firmwide bonuses, which are uncapped and awarded to all staff, will be paid this year at 11.2%.

At the same time, Macs confirmed an autumn 2022 retention score of 92%, with 23 of its 25 final seat trainees committing their futures to the firm.

Jat Bains, graduate recruitment partner, said: “Our trainees are our partners of the future and we are delighted that so many are continuing to build their careers with us.”

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2022 shows trainee pay currently sits at £50,000 in year one, rising to £55,000 in year two.

And NQ pay isn’t the only thing on the up. Macs has reported a 16% increase in turnover to £303.7 million while operating profit climbed to £164.2 million — a 15% uptick on the previous year. Profit per equity partner (PEP) jumped 19% to £2.48 million.

Commenting on the results, senior partner Sebastian Prichard Jones said:

“I would like to pay tribute to both our fee-earning and business services teams for their dedication in a period in which there was a high demand for legal services during often difficult circumstances as the pandemic unwound. These results are a reflection of everyone’s collective hard work and commitment to our clients. By comparison, the outlook for the year ahead seems more challenging and we are already starting to see much more caution in the market.”

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LegalEdCon 2022 returned in-person on Thursday 12 May, the first Legal Cheek conference since the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) on 1 September 2021.

The SQE has brought about a major shake-up to legal education and the wider profession. Over 200 delegates arrived at our annual conference to hear about the opportunities this will bring to attracting and retaining top talent within the profession, and hear about the future of legal education and training.

LegalEdCon 2022 featured sessions including opening up the profession to diverse future lawyers; solicitor apprenticeships; legal tech and the future of training; sustainability and its importance; the practical implications of the SQE; the future of the bar; and considerations beyond the SQE. A key theme that emerged in the speakers’ (view the full speaker roster) talks was how the SQE has the potential to open up the profession to a talented cohort of more diverse lawyers.

Session 1: Thinking differently to open up the legal profession to diverse future lawyers

The speakers (part one):

• Dorothea Bannerman-Bruce, senior learning manager at Linklaters
• Rohan Samrai, future lawyer and Social Welfare Solicitors Qualifying Fund scholar
• Jordan Yohannes, trainee solicitor (secondee) at Phoenix Group
• Dr Assal Kareem, Breaking Barriers SQE scholar

In the first part of the session, we heard impassioned talks from three aspiring lawyers about how the diversity schemes they were participating in, respectively, were helping them to facilitate their dreams to become lawyers via the SQE. Rohan Samrai, future lawyer and Social Welfare Solicitors Qualifying Fund (SWSQF) scholar, spoke on how SWSQF was allowing him to qualify as a social welfare lawyer and serve disadvantaged communities.

Jordan Yohannes, trainee solicitor (secondee) at Phoenix Group, discussed how the Flex Trainee scheme is enabling her to qualify as a lawyer and overcome the cost barrier to the profession. Finally, Dr Assal Kareem, Breaking Barriers SQE scholar, moved the audience with her journey as a lecturer in Iraq to moving to the UK as a refugee, able to access a legal career because of the Breaking Barriers SQE scholarship. After these talks, Dorothea Bannerman-Bruce, senior learning manager at Linklaters, chaired a Q&A with the three to probe further into their journeys.

The speakers (part two):

• Lucie Allen, managing director of BARBRI Global
• Ray Berg, managing partner at Osborne Clarke
• Mary Bonsor, CEO and founder of Flex Legal
• Lorna Nsoatabe, associate at Slaughter and May
• Gemma de Cordova, barrister at Gatehouse Chambers

The second part of this session was a panel discussion and Q&A chaired by Lucie Allen, managing director of BARBRI Global. Ray Berg, managing partner at Osborne Clarke, spoke on his journey, urging the audience to re-evaluate their opinions about “what a lawyer looks or sounds like”. Mary Bonsor, CEO and founder of Flex Legal, discussed how Flex Legal was opening up the profession through Flex Trainee, a scheme which enables in-house legal teams to access the best and brightest young, diverse legal talent.

Lorna Nsoatabe, associate at Slaughter and May, touched on the importance of allyship and how inclusivity is a key driver for retention of talent, while Gemma de Cordova, a barrister at Gatehouse Chambers, highlighted the necessity for representation and mentorship within the sector to encourage more individuals into the profession.

Session 2: Solicitor Apprenticeships — a new generation of qualified lawyers

The speakers:

Alison Wells, company director of legal and HR at BPP University Law School
Maia Crockford, solicitor apprentice (seconded to Sainsbury’s) at DAC Beachcroft
George Yates, solicitor apprentice at BBC
Roma Mcpherson, solicitor apprentice at Colt Technology Services
Rosie Buckley, early careers recruitment lead at Dentons

Alison Wells, company director of legal and HR at BPP, began this session with an overview of what a solicitor apprenticeship is and how it works in practice. She then handed over to Maia Crockford, solicitor apprentice (seconded to Sainsbury’s) at DAC Beachcroft, who discussed how her solicitor apprenticeship provided her with the opportunity to be the first person in her family to go to university, while giving the opportunity to have a career she loved.

George Yates, solicitor apprentice at BBC, spoke on the opportunity it afforded to have an income which provided financial independence. Roma Mcpherson, solicitor apprentice at Colt Technology Services, offered the audience an insight into how the apprenticeship was developing her both professionally and personally. Rosie Buckley, early careers recruitment lead at Dentons, described the positive relationship between solicitor apprentices and the rest of her firm and how this was helping the firm grow and develop.

Session 3a: Legal tech and the future of training as a lawyer

The speakers:

• Siobhan McGinley, head of segment marketing at LexisNexis
• Chloe Kennedy, legal management consultant at Deloitte
• Professor Scott Slorach, director of learning & teaching at The University of York Law School
• Faisal Zainal, legal technology and innovation executive at Macfarlanes
• Nicole Tan, innovation & legal technology senior manager at Addleshaw Goddard

Siobhan McGinley, head of segment marketing at LexisNexis, kicked off the session by discussing the role legal technology plays in her job. LexisNexis, as creators of legal tech tools, familiarise their legal practitioner clients with these tools to provide them with ways to make their day-to-day more efficient.

Chloe Kennedy, legal management consultant at Deloitte, discussed her experiences at the Big Four player and described the blend of law with technology is in part driven by globalisation and clients increasingly wanting more for their money.

Professor Scott Slorach, director of learning & teaching at The University of York Law School, highlighted how law school has integrated legal tech into students’ education and how this contributes to their development, both during university and beyond.

Our lawtech session is underway! #LegalEdCon22 pic.twitter.com/M6GXjLHMB0

— Legal Cheek (@legalcheek) May 12, 2022

After Faisal Zainal, legal technology and innovation executive at Macfarlanes, studied the Legal Practice Course (LPC) he was drawn to legal tech to be a part of the “modernisation of inefficient processes”.

Nicole Tan, innovation & legal technology senior manager at Addleshaw Goddard, had her interest in legal tech sparked when she worked as a legal manager at Freshfields and echoed similar reasons for entering the sector.

Session 3b: Why law firms need to take sustainability seriously to attract the best talent

The speakers:

• Laura Yeates, founder of the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance and head of graduate talent at Clifford Chance
• Sasha Langeveldt, project manager at Students Organising for Sustainability UK
• Joshua Rutt, Sustainable Recruitment Alliance Student Advisory board member and future trainee solicitor at Macfarlanes
• Maria Connolly, partner and head of real estate and energy & renewables at TLT
• François Feuillat, partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Laura Yeates, founder of the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance, highlighted that early talent plays a critical part in improving the legal industry’s sustainability practices. She shared the three-phase approach adopted by the Alliance — ‘review, reduce, report’ — to help signatories achieve sustainability objectives. Joshua Rutt, Sustainable Recruitment Alliance Student Advisory board member, and Sasha Langeveldt, project manager at Students Organising for Sustainability UK, emphasised the weight that students nowadays place on an ethical employer, revealing that students would rather earn less if it meant working for an employer who shares their values.

Partners Maria Connolly and François Feuillat encouraged law firms to continue to review their practices, noting that ESG (environmental, social and governance) matters have come to the fore.

The resounding message from the panel was that now is the time for action from both students and employers — it is up to each of us to champion change in the industry.

Session 4a: What does the SQE mean in practice?

The speakers:

• Maxine Warr, head of education and training at the Solicitors Regulation Authority
• Morette Jackson, director of business development at The University of Law
• Laura Yeates, head of graduate talent at Clifford Chance
• Tim West, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills

In the first of two sessions on the SQE, a panel of speakers discussed the practical implications the new training regime is having — and will have — on education and training.

Maxine Warr, head of education and training at the SRA, reflected on the SQE’s journey from concept to introduction, noting the first cohort of students had now completed both parts of the new assessment, with results for the latter part due to be released in August.

Director of business development at The University of Law, Morette Jackson, referenced the law school’s efforts to create and develop a range of SQE prep courses with innovation at their core. She drew comparisons between dating and students selecting the most appropriate course: “students need to find the one they connect with and what matters to them”, she said.

We are live at one of our first two afternoon sessions 'What does the SQE mean in practice?' with speakers from @sra_solicitors, @UniversityofLaw, @Clifford_Chance and @HSFgraduatesUK pic.twitter.com/xN02phy1CD

— Legal Cheek (@legalcheek) May 12, 2022

Laura Yeates, head of graduate talent at Clifford Chance, explained how the firm had spent time “reflecting” on what it wanted to achieve through the new regime, and revealed it had chosen to “front load” its prep through a bespoke course designed in partnership with ULaw.

Herbert Smith Freehills partner Tim West provided delegates with an overview of how the firm plans to integrate the SQE. As part of the City Consortium, future trainees will complete a “bespoke” SQE programme with BPP.

Session 4b: The future of education and training at the bar

The speakers:

• Steven Barrett, Big Voice London chair and barrister at Radcliffe Chambers
• Mark Keith, director of programmes at BPP University Law School
• Jacqueline Cheltenham, national BPTC and BPC programme director at The University of Law
• Chris Kessling, vice dean at The Inns of Court College of Advocacy
• Mark Neale, director general of the Bar Standards Board

Having heard from various speakers on the solicitor-side of the profession earlier in the day, the afternoon session in the St Pancras Room at LegalEdCon 2022 was dedicated to everything education and training at the bar.

Mark Neale, director general of the Bar Standards Board, kicked off a series of presentations looking at the bar reforms over the past three years from a regulatory perspective.

Adding law school insights were Jacqueline Cheltenham, national BPTC and BPC programme director at The University of Law, and Mark Keith, director of programmes at BPP University Law School. Both speakers discussed how we can be re-thinking bar training in response to regulatory change and learning from the past and present to best serve prospective barristers of the future.

Big Voice London chair and barrister at Radcliffe Chambers, Steven Barrett, encouraged the audience to consider whether radical change is needed in education and training at the bar, drawing attention to the current burden on young people looking to qualify and the need for greater diversity in the profession.

Rounding off the session, Chris Kessling, vice dean at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy, discussed the ICCA’s position in the market and its return to bar training. This was followed by an audience Q&A session exploring topics including what more the bar could be doing to promote itself and whether it could be going further with innovative course design.

Session 5: Beyond the SQE

The speakers:

• Dr Giles Proctor, chief executive officer of The College of Legal Practice
• Joy Davies, principal lecturer at Nottingham Law School
• Professor Peter Hungerford-Welch, associate dean (postgraduate and professional programmes) at The City Law School
• Susan Cooper, founder and CEO of Accutrainee
• Grace Strutton, head of people & development at Lawyers on Demand

In this session the audience heard about some of the far-reaching effects that the SQE will have on training as a lawyer.

At the heart of the changes is the fact that students will be able to take qualification into their own hands. This is potentially quite disruptive as it will mean paralegals will use the new Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) system to become solicitors without the need to secure a formal training contract.

Susan Cooper, founder and CEO of Accutrainee, a pioneer of flexible training contracts, expects her experience of working with companies’ in-house legal teams to find students training placements to become ever more popular under the new regime.

Indeed, Lawyers on Demand (LoD), the flexible lawyering firm, has launched a similar model where its paralegals can qualify as solicitors under the SQE through time spent with big clients such as Airbnb and Adidas. LoD head of people & development Grace Strutton said the scheme already has 20 trainees.

For the College of Legal Practice, a new entrant SQE provider backed by former magic circle lawyers, this is an opportunity to work with the likes of Accutrainee to create innovative new study programmes tailored to students’ needs. CEO Giles Proctor outlined his vision for the years ahead.

Nottingham Law School, meanwhile, sees a gap in the market for qualified junior lawyer training amid a concern that SQE-qualified solicitors may have knowledge gaps in certain more specialist practice areas. Joy Davies, principal lecturer at Nottingham, explained her plans to support firms in this area.

Professor Peter Hungerford-Welch, associate dean at The City Law School, expects the upheaval and dash of chaos wrought by the SQE to end up placing a premium on an education at a traditional university law school — so long as the learning is delivered with a healthy dose of employability training.

We are live at the final session of #LegalEdCon22 'Beyond the SQE' with speakers from @collegalpract @NLS_NTU @CityLawSchool @Accutrainee and @LOD_Law pic.twitter.com/75o08Vz277

— Legal Cheek (@legalcheek) May 12, 2022

Keynote by legal education YouTuber Ibrahim Mohamed

Ibrahim Mohamed, Britain’s top legal education YouTuber and a future trainee solicitor, delivered the keynote speech. In this keynote, he dismantled what he describes as unhelpful “diversity terms”, explaining why the use of terms such as ‘BAME’ and ‘state school’ were “problematic”. He explored the microaggressions most faced by future graduates, the psychology behind the ‘resilient diverse candidate’ and wrapped up with the five A’s that students want to see from law firms, their colleagues and higher education institutes committed to making a change — these A’s being acknowledgment, accountability, access, accommodation and advice.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoAPUGKxHt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Legal Cheek publisher, Alex Aldridge, brought the conference to a close, thanking the speakers, delegates and headline sponsors BARBRI, BPP University Law School and The University of Law, as well as silver sponsors LexisNexis, The City Law School, The College of Legal Practice, Nottingham Law School, Flex Legal, The Sustainable Recruitment Alliance and The Food Chain.

@legalcheek Little sneak peak of LegalEdCon22 #sqe #trainingcontract #lawyersoftiktok #lawfirms #lawschools #uni ♬ About Damn Time – Lizzo

The post What went down at LegalEdCon 2022 appeared first on Legal Cheek.

On Thursday (12 May) Legal Cheek’s annual future of legal education and training conference will return as an in-person event at Kings Place, London.

Delegates at LegalEdCon include learning & development and graduate recruitment experts from 70 leading law firms and chambers, as well as leading academics from universities across the UK. Throughout the day-long conference, there will be a series of TED-style talks and panel discussions exploring the topics at the forefront of the industry.

The final batch of speakers have today been announced and are listed below. They will join the vast roster of speakers announced over the last few months, including high profile figures from magic circle law firms and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Latest speakers:

• Maria Connolly, partner and head of real estate and energy & renewables at TLT
• Lorna Nsoatabe, associate at Slaughter and May
• Joshua Rutt, member of the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance Student Advisory Board and future trainee solicitor at Macfarlanes
• Siobhan McGinley, head of segment marketing at LexisNexis
• Joy Davies, principal lecturer at Nottingham Law School
• Jordan Yohannes, trainee solicitor (secondee) at Phoenix Group
• François Feuillat, corporate partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher
• Nicole Tan, senior manager, innovation & legal technology at Addleshaw Goddard
• George Yates, solicitor apprentice at BBC
• Faisel Sadiq, barrister at Gatehouse Chambers
• Mark Keith, director of programmes at BPP University Law School
• Maia Crockford, solicitor apprentice at DAC Beachcroft, seconded to Sainsbury’s
• Jacqueline Cheltenham, national programme director for BPTC and BPC, and associate professor at The University of Law
• Chris Kessling, vice-dean at The Inns of Court College of Advocacy
• Chloe Kennedy, legal management consultant at Deloitte
• Grace Strutton, head of people & development at Lawyers on Demand
• Susan Cooper, founder and CEO of Accutrainee
• Rosie Buckley, early careers recruitment lead at Dentons
• Roma Mcpherson, solicitor apprentice at Colt Technology Services
• Mark Neale, director general of the Bar Standards Board

The speakers will explore areas including diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, the apprenticeship route to qualification as a solicitor, legal technology, and sustainable recruitment.

Following a networking lunch on the Kings Place gallery mezzanine, the afternoon sessions will focus on what the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) looks like in practice, as well as the opportunities beyond the SQE rollout. We’ll also hear about the future of education and training at the bar with a separate dedicated session. The day’s events will close out with a keynote from Britain’s leading legal education YouTuber Ibz Mo.

LegalEdCon is headline sponsored by BPP University Law School, BARBRI and The University of Law, with LexisNexis, The College of Legal Practice, The City Law School, Nottingham Law School, Flex Legal and the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance as silver sponsors.

Final Release tickets are still available to purchase. Secure your place now.

The post Latest speakers announced as profession gears up for LegalEdCon 2022 appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The second batch of speakers for LegalEdCon 2022 have been announced, as the countdown begins for Legal Cheek‘s annual future of legal education and training conference taking place in-person one month today, on Thursday 12 May.

Big Voice London chair and Radcliffe Chambers barrister Steven Barrett, The University of Law director of business development Morette Jackson, and professor and director of learning & teaching at York Law School Scott Slorach will be providing their insight during the day-long conference.

Further adding to the array of perspectives represented at LegalEdCon are Students Organising for Sustainability UK project manager Sasha Langeveldt, as well as Macfarlanes legal technology and innovation executive Faisal Zainal.

They will join high-profile names from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Ministry of Justice and magic circle law firms, announced last month. Further speakers will be released in the run up to 12 May.

LegalEdCon 2022 returns as an in-person event at Kings Place, London. We’ll be welcoming delegates back to the venue’s impressive Hall One auditorium, Gallery Mezzanine and further breakout rooms.

Over the course of the day there will be sessions on opening the legal profession to diverse future lawyers, solicitor apprenticeships, legal technology, sustainability, and the practical reality of implementing the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), as well as opportunities created beyond the SQE rollout last September. There will also be a separate stream dedicated to the future of bar training.

In between sessions there will be plenty of opportunity to network, with regular coffee breaks and a networking lunch, before the day’s proceedings are rounded off with a keynote from Conservative peer and Minister in the Ministry of Justice, Lord (David) Wolfson QC.

LegalEdCon is headline sponsored by BPP University Law School, BARBRI and The University of Law, with LexisNexis, The College of Legal Practice, The City Law School, Nottingham Law School, Flex Legal and the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance as silver sponsors.

Secure your ticket at the Third Release rate now.

This event is targeted at legal academics and those involved in learning & development and graduate recruitment at law firms. It is not a student event. However, we do have a limited amount of free tickets for our student campus ambassadors. You can find out more about the campus ambassador programme here.

The post Further speakers unveiled ahead of LegalEdCon 2022 appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Macfarlanes has announced it’s retained all six trainees due to qualify next month, giving the firm a 100% retention score for spring 2022.

The newly qualified (NQ) solicitors will see their salaries double from when they started as trainees at the firm two years ago, from £50,000 to £100,000. Macfarlanes increased NQ base rates to six figures at the start of this year.

Macfarlanes did not disclose the departments the NQs will join upon qualification.

Jat Bains, graduate recruitment partner at Macfarlanes, commented:

“Our trainees are the future of the firm and we look forward to continuing to support them in their careers at Macfarlanes. We are really happy to have retained all our trainees in this cohort.”

Macfarlanes is traditionally a strong retention performer, regularly keeping the majority, if not all, of its qualifying trainees. The firm offers 33 training contracts annually and the bulk of its intake qualifies in the autumn.

In our latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey Macfarlanes scored an A* for training and an A for quality of work.

Spring retention season is well underway, with Macfarlanes now the third of five silver circle law firms to reveal their scores. This is followed by Herbert Smith Freehills and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner revealing scores of 83% (24/29) and 72% (13/18) in recent weeks. Ashurst and Travers Smith are yet to reveal their latest scores.

Check out the latest coverage of law firms’ 2022 spring retention scores.

The post Macfarlanes posts 100% spring trainee retention score appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Legal Cheek asked trainees and junior lawyers from over 100 of the nation’s leading law firms to share their experiences. A number of law firms have received top marks, scoring an A* for their training and quality of work, in our annual Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey.

Respondents could score the training provided by their law firms on a scale from one to ten — with one being poor and ten being excellent. Equally, respondents could rate the quality of work — with work rated from not at all stimulating to highly stimulating.

A total of six law firms feature in the shortlist for both of these categories: Accutrainee, Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths and Slaughter and May. Below are the results listed alphabetically:

Best law firms for training 2022

Accutrainee
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Burges Salmon
CMS
Clifford Chance
Dechert
HFW
Hogan Lovells
Linklaters
Macfarlanes
Mayer Brown
Osborne Clarke
Shoosmiths
Slaughter and May
TLT
Travers Smith

Best law firms for quality of work 2022

Accutrainee
Akin Gump
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Fried Frank
Kingsley Napley
Latham & Watkins
Linklaters
Mills & Reeve
Osborne Clarke
Ropes & Gray
Shoosmiths
Slaughter and May
Vinson & Elkins
Weil Gotshal & Manges
White & Case
Wiggin
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

As part of the survey trainees and junior lawyers were also given the opportunity to submit anonymous comments to expand on their scores and give insights into their firm’s training and work quality. Here are a select few comments from some of the firms listed above:

How would you describe the training you have received?

“Very, very good even though it has moved to being remote. It is front-loaded at the beginning of your seat to prepare you for the department and delivered by an experienced associate, counsel or partner.”

“Throughout the pandemic the firm has been committed to ensuring that we receive training on all levels. In my current seat we have weekly training sessions. The NQs are given a training team consisting of a partner, senior associate and junior associate. They meet weekly and it’s for the NQ to ask all the questions on the work they’ve had during that week.”

“There is training available on almost everything and if you need further help they will provide 1:1 sessions. The training isn’t just on legal or tech issues, but also on important diversity topics.”

“Each seat has started with very detailed, comprehensive training courses aiming to provide an introduction to the relevant area of law and to help with tasks we might be given as a trainee group in that department. Along with this, there has been plenty of informal training held by PSLs, partners and associates in, for example, know-how meetings and market updates.”

“Speaking to colleagues at other firms, best in class by a mile. Often delivered by partners whilst on or shortly after interesting matters, so much more insightful and interesting than dry, hypothetical discussions.”

How stimulating is the work you are given?

“The firm makes heavy use of technology and delegation (to support staff generally) so very little time is spent on ‘non-law’ type tasks that trainees may have been responsible for in the past. This means we get to engage more in drafting and developing transactional skills. I have done far more drafting than I had expected and have been given enough responsibility such that I was essentially running (surprisingly large) deals (of course, always with the associate there to give the green light!). Naturally, we also represent a lot of ‘headline’ type clients or banks on deals, which leads to interesting work.”

“Typical ‘trainee’ work is effectively delegated to secretarial staff, paralegals and legal support centres, allowing for a greater focus on advanced work, while still developing an understanding of basic documents as we review the work of paralegals etc.”

“The level of work the firm does is really very impressive. You’ll work for the world’s biggest PE houses and banks constantly but the firm’s continued growth in London means you’ll also see some of the most well-known companies and brands as your clients too. It’s a funny moment when you finally Google the person you’ve been emailing for weeks to find out that they’re one of the biggest names in the business world.”

“During my training contract, I have carried out tasks typically assigned to NQ or 1 year PQE lawyers. It’s a consistent challenge, but one I’ve really enjoyed and which has helped me develop and grow as a lawyer.”

“The work is very stimulating and varied, no two days are the same. Contract reviews are the only constant but there’s almost always something new to be learnt with each review. From drafting cross-border contracts, to assisting on GDPR and legitimate interest assessments, to reviewing the company’s rights and responsibilities under a regulatory mandate, my first seat has set the standard that I hope will be replicated for the remainder of my training.”

The winning law firm in each category will be announced at The Legal Cheek Awards 2022, sponsored by BARBRI, on Thursday 24 March 2022.

The post Revealed: The best law firms for training and quality of work 2022 appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Macfarlanes has increased the salaries of its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers to £100,000, Legal Cheek can reveal.

The silver circle player confirmed base salaries had moved from £90,000 to £100,000, an uptick of 11%, with NQs eligible to receive individual and firmwide bonuses on top of the new rate. The rises take effect from 1 January 2022.

Macfarlanes also confirmed increases have taken place across all other associate salary bands.

The Legal Cheek 2022 Firms Most List shows the revised NQ salary matches that already on offer at Freshfields, Hogan Lovells and Slaughter and May, and is £5,000 above NQ pay at Mayer Brown and Norton Rose Fulbright (both £95,000).

Macs — which offers around 33 training contracts each year — has also increased trainee salaries to £50,000 in year one and £55,000 in year two. These were previously pegged at £48,000 and £52,500, respectively.

Senior partner, Sebastian Prichard Jones, commented:

“We have taken the unusual step of advancing our salary review for our legal staff which normally takes place in July to 1 January. The past 18 months have been a sustained period of high activity levels across our practices and it is right that we recognise the significant contribution made by our fee earners during that period.”

The additional cash comes a little over a year since the firm, like many of its rivals, opted to cut junior lawyer rates by 6% from £85,000 to £80,000 in response to the pandemic. The firm reinstated salaries some six months later, before upping them to £90,000 earlier this summer.

News of the rises come just weeks after Clifford Chance increased NQ rates to £107,500, following similar moves by Allen & Overy and Linklaters.

Keen to find out more about life at the firm or a life in law more generally? Why not sign up to the December Legal Cheek UK Virtual Law Fair 2021. It takes place on Thursday 2 December, between 2-5pm, and features 70 law firms, including all the magic circle and leading US firms’ London offices, international firms, and national firms across the UK.

The post Macfarlanes boosts NQ lawyer pay to £100k appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Top City law firms have come together to tackle issues of race and diversity in the legal sector with the launch of a new independent and firm-led initiative.

The founding members of Legal CORE, a Collaboration On Race and Ethnicity, are Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May, who came together last year to jointly tackle the under-representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals in private practice. The collaboration kicked off last week and now has a total of 22 law firm members.

Paul Stacey, executive partner at Slaughter and May and co-chair of Legal CORE, said: “We know there needs to be a deeper focus on Black representation and an improvement across other ethnicities at law firms. When we came together as a group last year we were all in agreement that by acting unilaterally, firms can make progress, but ultimately we all have similar challenges, so a sector-wide approach will have a more sustainable impact.”

Over the next couple of months, Legal CORE, which is formed of diversity and inclusion leads and senior partners from each firm, will be hosting “a cross-firm hackathon”, inviting participants from across the legal industry to come together and crowdsource ideas on how to improve retention and progression for BAME individuals. It will also pilot a “leadership forum” where senior leaders from the founding firms will explore how to effect change within their firm, and introduce a “best practice forum” to share solutions on what works best such as reverse mentoring or data analytics.

Farmida Bi, chair, Norton Rose Fulbright, Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA), said: “Legal CORE is different in that we are independent and law firm-led and therefore closer to the challenges that need to be addressed within private practice. Our intention is not to create a new charter or replicate existing work, but to be action orientated, act as a convening body for law firms, and provide a forum to find collaborative and innovative solutions. We all know that collaboration is a powerful incentive to keep attention fixed on progress over the longer term, so we’re really excited about this initiative.”

Research undertaken by The Law Society last year showed that BAME solicitors are underrepresented in larger firms, especially at partner level.

Keen to find out more about life at these firms or a life in law more generally? Why not sign up to the Legal Cheek UK Virtual Law Fair. It takes place tomorrow, on Thursday 4 November, between 2-5pm, and features 70 law firms, including all the magic circle and leading US firms’ London offices, international firms, and national firms across the UK.

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