As a bright, enthusiastic and driven potential trainee solicitor, you will be doing your research, which will undoubtedly include trawling websites of law firms to give a flavour of what that firm is like: people, opportunities and so on. A good website should do just that and hopefully, the Fisher Jones Greenwood pages provide some insight into what we do and how we do it. But… it’s not the full picture and arguably, the web pages are a visual representation of what a law firm wants to look like to the outside world. It is important to understand what working in a law firm is like by being there, talking to people, doing some work experience and soaking up the “atmosphere”. The ethos of a working environment can only really be understood by experiencing it first-hand.
Here at Fisher Jones Greenwood, we attract applicants for training contracts via the traditional university-to-LPC route as well as from people who want to join as post-graduate paralegals and who will undertake “on-the-job” LPC learning, leading on to “a period of recognised training” before qualification as a solicitor. We don’t yet offer access to the Trailblazer apprenticeship leading to qualification as a solicitor, which would take around 5 to 6 years to complete, although this is something that we are looking to adopt. We also engage with and employ people who don’t have a degree, but who want to join as paralegals with a view to continuing to progress their formal learning and eventually leading to a career in law – whatever that looks like.
We know that historically, a career in law may not have been accessible to all and as a result, has proven a barrier to inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. It is well documented that entry to a career in law has also historically been difficult and expensive. We speak to and employ many people seeking access to a career in the law, leading to qualification as solicitors or legal executives in due course. As a dynamic and forward-thinking law firm, the impetus is on Fisher Jones Greenwood to encourage access to a career in law to all those who want it, where possible.
We have many success stories here – for example, we took on a 15-year old administration assistant who, after more than 33 years, in which she qualified as a legal executive, remains with us and is now a partner in our conveyancing team; we took on an 18-year old office junior, whose role was to open and distribute the post. Eight years later, she passed her final legal executive exams and now, more than 14 years after joining, she is a partner in our conveyancing team. We have also recently said goodbye to a very talented lawyer, who joined as a secretary, qualified as a legal executive, studied and qualified as a solicitor and earlier this year, was called to the Bar. The possibilities and opportunities are there.
Whichever route you take to the law, Fisher Jones Greenwood encourages applications at all levels from capable, dynamic, talented and bright people. If you fit with our ethos, we will fit with your aspirations. Make initial contact with Fisher Jones Greenwood by calling 01206 700113 or emailing [email protected].