Hill Dickinson joins Project Rise to boost part-time training for aspiring solicitors

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Hill Dickinson LLP is the latest law firm to sign up to Project Rise – a cross-firm initiative by the Law Society’s Disabled Solicitors Network, which is designed to encourage more part-time training opportunities in the legal profession.

With Hill Dickinson now the sixth law firm to join the scheme, more part-time training opportunities are becoming available for aspiring solicitors who are unable to train full time due to disability, caring responsibilities or other reasons. The project has seen more part-time training available for traditional training contracts, solicitor apprenticeships and the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

It’s clear from the law firms participating in Project Rise that part-time training is sought after, with one firm reporting that “20% of the latest cycle of applicants wanted to train part time”. Elsewhere, one firm reported that it “now has 30% part-time work across all levels of employee/partner”.

Speaking of Hill Dickinson’s support for the project, Law Society President Nick Emmerson said the firm has “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”.

The chief people officer at Hill Dickinson, Carolyn Morgan, said the firm is “really proud to be a part of Project Rise” and that the scheme’s ambition “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”.

Morgan added: “As part of widening access, we’re 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.”

The other five law firms to have signed up and offer part-time training are Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, Osborne Clarke LLP, Bates Wells, Brown Jacobson LLP and Freeths LLP.  

The project is also “open to in-house teams that offer training” with Emmerson explaining that there are ongoing “active discussions” with those hoping to sign up soon. The Law Society President is encouraging its members “to join the initiative as a way of providing different ways of training to aspiring solicitors”.