Project Rise grows as the profession adopts part-time training
The latest firm to sign up to a cross-profession scheme initiated by the Law Society of England and Wales’ Disabled Solicitors Network is Hill Dickinson, meaning more part-time solicitor training will be available in the legal sector.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: "I am delighted to welcome Hill Dickinson to Project Rise.
"They have committed to offering all successful candidates the opportunity to train on a part-time basis to provide more accessible routes to qualification for people from diverse backgrounds.
"Six firms are now part of the scheme and I encourage our members to join the initiative as a way of providing different ways of training to aspiring solicitors.*
"Aspiring solicitors who cannot train full-time** due to disability, caring responsibilities or other reasons now have more opportunities to join our valuable profession.
"Project Rise has meant more part-time training options being available for traditional training contracts, solicitor apprenticeships and the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.
"Project Rise is also open to in-house teams that offer training and we are in active discussions with some of these who hope to sign-up soon. In-house solicitors might also like to ask their external advisers if they could sign-up.
"Firms already participating in Project Rise report that applicants are interested in part-time, with one firm reporting 20% of the latest cycle of applicants wanted to train part-time.
"Given recent legal changes providing more opportunities for employees, including trainees, to request flexible working, firms have found it useful to have the discussions and put working practices in place in advance, rather than having to deal with these following an actual request.
"One of our participating firms now has 30% part-time work across all levels of employee/partner.
"Being part of Project Rise also means organisations get to hear and share good practice on flexible working and how it can work for everyone, including clients."
Carolyn Morgan, chief people officer at Hill Dickinson, said: "I am speaking for all of us at Hill Dickinson when I say we're really proud to be part of Project Rise.
"The ambitions of the initiative to widen access to the law and create a legal profession that welcomes and more accurately represents people in all their economic, physical and cultural diversity aligns perfectly with the all-embracing culture we have sought to create at Hill Dickinson.
"What is particularly exciting in signing up to this initiative is that we already know it works. As part of widening access, we are already supporting our people to work flexibly and have already seen a number of individuals complete their training contracts with us part-time and successfully qualify as associates."
Notes to editors
*Eversheds Sutherland and Osborne Clarke were the first firms to sign onto the project in 2021. In 2022, Bates Wells, Browne Jacobson and Freeths joined the scheme.
**The Solicitors Regulation Authority has clarified that if someone works 32 hours over less than five days a week, they can still qualify in two years, as it is classed as ‘full-time’.
The 2014 Education and Training Regulations defined ‘full-time’ in relation to a period of recognised training as 32 hours, and ‘part-time’ as working fewer than 32 hours. Two years is the minimum needed to qualify.
Read the SRA’s Q&A on qualifying work experience and its qualifying work experience for candidates guidance.
Read our guidance on flexible working
Read our guidance on becoming a solicitor as a disabled student
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