Clarke Willmott's largest summer scheme yet

Leading national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has wrapped up its most extensive summer work experience program to date, providing 22 placements for emerging legal talent across five regional offices: Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton, and Taunton. This year’s Summer Vacation Scheme focused on inclusivity and accessibility, utilising a blind shortlisting process to ensure equal opportunities for all applicants.

The scheme offered paid legal work experience, allowing participants to engage with one or more teams over five days. With 26 teams involved, students gained exposure to various specialist practice areas, including family law, property litigation, and private client services. Additionally, participants had the chance to engage in a new informal mentoring program, aimed at building professional relationships and developing essential skills for their future careers.

Since its return in 2023 after a hiatus, the scheme has made significant strides. Initially limited to Taunton, it expanded to include Birmingham last year, and in 2024, five out of seven regional offices offered placements. Daniel Jones, Clarke Willmott’s Director of Human Resources, expressed satisfaction with the scheme’s success, noting a remarkable 308% increase in applications and over 65 interviews held across offices.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with 100% stating they felt welcomed and 83.3% indicating their objectives were met. Comments highlighted the value of hands-on experience, with one participant noting, “This scheme was very beneficial in exposing me to the operations of a law firm and allowing me to see how a law firm truly operates in practice.”

Daniel Jones emphasised the firm’s commitment to inclusivity, stating, “In 2023, we made it one of our core objectives to create an inclusive and supportive hiring process, and we have built on that in 2024 as part of our ED&I commitments.” He thanked the offices and lawyers involved in the scheme for their efforts in making students feel comfortable and welcome.

As the summer program concludes, Clarke Willmott looks forward to staying connected with the talented individuals they encountered, nurturing their development as they advance in their legal careers.