More firms agree to provide part-time training for future attorneys with disabilities

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 13 December, 2022

MORE legal organisations have vowed to provide opportunities for part-time training to prospective solicitors who have disabilities.

The newest companies to provide flexible possibilities include Bates Wells, Browne Jacobson, and Freeths.

Project Rise is an initiative by the Law Society’s Disabled Solicitors Network (DSN) to encourage firms to offer additional part-time training contracts and apprenticeships.

Lubna Shuja, president of the Law Society, said: “I am delighted to welcome Bates Wells, Browne Jacobson, and Freeths 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.”

She continued: “Five 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 can’t train full-time due to caring responsibilities or other reasons now have more opportunities to join our valuable profession.”

The first companies to commit to the programme were Eversheds Sutherland and Osborne Clarke, both of which agreed to offer all successful candidates the chance to train part-time beginning in September 2024.

Becky Egan, head of diversity and inclusion at Freeths, said: “For us, it’s about nurturing and supporting our talent and we understand that this means offering alternative routes through to qualification. We’ve already successfully offered training contracts on a part-time basis and our legal assistant programme gives graduates the opportunity to work, gain experience and secure a place on our solicitor apprenticeship to complete their SQE1 & 2 and their QWE.”

She added: “We’re committed to making the legal profession more accessible, diverse, and inclusive and therefore are proud to be part of Project Rise.”

According to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), if a person works 32 hours per week across less than five days, they can still get qualified in two years because this is considered “full-time.”

In terms of a period of recognised training, the 2014 Education and Training Regulations defined “full-time” as working 32 hours or more, and “part-time” as working less than 32 hours. The bare minimum to be eligible is two years.