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Gallery | 2018
20.11.18 - Explore the Law
On the 20th November 2018, Explore the Law, a unique careers insight event, brought together bright ambitious students all of whom had a disability or health condition with 5 leading law firms: Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May.
Bob Bishop, a Partner at DLA Piper who hosted the event, gave a powerful opening to the event and set the bar high for all of the sessions that followed. Bob spoke openly about his own experience of disability, including both the mental and physical challenges of returning to work after he acquired his disability.
Bob then moved on to provide an overview of the legal sector. He talked about how important it was to get to the know the ‘law firm community’ and to really understand the challenges of the industry. He was keen to emphasise that, whilst a career in law is fulfilling and rewarding, it can also be highly demanding.
Representatives from each of the firms then provided the delegates with insights into what life as a trainee and / or newly qualified solicitor was really like. Taking questions from the floor they covered topics including what aspect of the job they had not expected, how they managed the demands of a career in law and whether it is possible to achieve a balance between work and home life (the answer is – yes it is!)
Before the break, a recruitment skills session run by recruiters from the law firms provided the students with the opportunity to hone their application writing skills and interview techniques.
The second half of Explore the Law focused on disability since all of the delegates had a disability, health condition or mental ill health including, but not limited to conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, anxiety and depression.
Helen Cooke, Director of MyPlus Students’ Club, ran a session on how best to inform recruiters about a disability and how to request the support and / or adjustments required. The delegates were tasked with writing their ‘openness statement’ which makes the process of informing (often referred to as ‘disclosure’) much easier and less daunting.
This was followed by a Q&A panel where representatives from the participating firms, all of whom had first had experience of disability, answered questions on topics such as managing their disability with colleagues, flexible working and how to access the support they require in the workplace. Listening to the representatives speak showed the delegates what was possible and confirmed that having a disability really is no barrier to a career in law.
Explore the Law wrapped up with a networking session where, over canapes and drinks, delegates had the opportunity to speak to firm representatives, including those from the recruitment teams and the disability network, swap contact details and forge crucial relationships.
I appreciated the opportunity to network with the law firms. I also liked that there were not too many people attending, thus not making it too overwhelming.