Shoosmiths launches new diversity access scheme

In January 2024, Shoosmiths launched the ‘Discover Placement and Mentoring Programme’, an exciting new work experience programme aimed at high achieving applicants from under-represented groups in the legal profession.

Discover supports the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals, taking a conscious, purpose-led approach. By introducing this placement the firm is driving progress in the diversity of our trainee cohorts and helping to address the wider challenge in the profession.

Successful candidates will be matched with a professional mentor who will help prepare them for their placement and provide ongoing support right up to the training contract assessment centre and beyond.

What are the details?

The in-person one-week placement will take place on Monday 8 to Friday 12 April 2024 in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and London.

Who can apply for this placement?

The Discover Placement & Mentoring Programme is a diversity access scheme which is part of Shoosmiths’ recruitment for the 2026 training contract.

It is open to those who are a penultimate year undergraduate, a final year law or non-law undergraduate student, a postgraduate or career changer.

To apply for the Discover placement & mentoring programme opportunity, you must:

• Be an aspiring solicitor interested in qualifying in England or Scotland
• Be a penultimate year law undergraduate, or a final year law or non-law undergraduate student. GDL, LPC and SQE students are welcome to apply, as are graduates and career changers
• Not have accepted a training contract with any law firm or legal team
• Be eligible to work in the UK.

You should also be from at least one of our under-represented groups:

• Black, Asian or minority ethnic
• LGBTQ+
• Disabled, neurodivergent or have a long-term health condition
• Socially mobile (given this is not a defined characteristic in the Equalities Act 2010, there are multiple variations of this meaning but we consider this to include (but not limited to) candidates who:
  • attended a non-selective state school comprehensive educated and first generation of their family to attend university
  • spent time in local authority care
  • came to this country as a refugee

The application is open now, candidates can apply by 31 January 2024 here.

The launch of this placement follows the recent introduction of a contextual recruitment tool to our trainee-level application screening. RealRating (created by upReach, a social mobility charity) gives us a better indication of academic capabilities creating a fairer measure of academic achievements than A-Level grades alone.

The methodology is based on a comprehensive review of the published research into how background and school type influence academic performance and analysis of how universities and employers are using contextualised data to inform admissions and recruitment.

Other opportunities

In addition to the placement, the firm continues to provide an increased programme of virtual insight evenings and in-person events throughout the year.

ShoosmithsLIVE, the successful live streamed video series, will also relaunch this year as a new podcast, which is an excellent opportunity for aspiring trainee solicitors to learn more about Shoosmiths.

Aspiring solicitors can register for Shoosmiths’ events here.

For more information or to ask any questions, please contact the Emerging Talent Team at [email protected].