Linklaters has released an unfastened on-line legal internship aimed toward giving UK university college students insight into the lifestyles of a magic circle legal professional.
In what is known to be a UK-first, the London-based outfit has teamed up with digital education provider, Inside Sherpa to create a digital platform to be had to college students “from any college, heritage or degree.” In supplying exposure to digital colleagues and customers, the ‘Linklaters Virtual Programme’ hopes to equip members with sensible criminal skills and business focus as they contemplate a career in regulation.
During the net internship, which begins at the top of this month, students will go through a series of tasks much like that completed with Links’ vac schemers and trainees on an everyday foundation.
The seven-step digital education program begins by requiring members to “pitch to a consortium of banks” that want felony advice before a fintech acquisition. It then rounds off with the aid of asking individuals to go away a voicemail for a patron, earlier than paying attention to a recording from one of the company’s companions offering recommendations on communicating with customers.
Although in step with the internet site, the program is meant to take five to 6 hours to complete, there is no time restriction on completing the tasks — meaning online interns can match the modules around their research. However, the e-studying style duties are no longer assessed; however, as a substitute, provide version solutions permitting college students to mark their own work.
The unfastened virtual internship additionally reflects Linklaters’ efforts to diversify its pool of applicants and widen access to the legal career, particularly within the City. On this, Fionnghuala Griggs, graduate recruitment accomplice at Linklaters, said:
“We know that an easy lack of awareness of what lifestyles is like at companies like Linklaters is frequently one among the most important obstacles stopping in any other case robust applicants from applying to sign up for. We hope this new virtual platform will provide students a taste of what it’s in reality like to revel in the day after day work of a City company and encourage them to discover extra.”
For the time being, the handiest college students can join up for the program — except college and 6th shape college students. Yet, speaking to Legal Cheek, Sophie Thomas, graduate recruitment consultant at Linklaters, well-known shows this may change: “We are clearly thrilled with the platform and assume it will likely be of hobby to school leavers inside the future, and we plan to study how we ought to broaden the program going ahead.”
This isn’t the first time Links have embraced e-learning. Last 12 months, the company added an in-residence-built e-mastering module to its evaluation centers for vac schemes and training contracts.
Today’s news follows on Linklaters’ recent declaration of its social mobility program, Making Links, wherein up to nine college students from socially or economically much less advantaged backgrounds will get hold of one-to-one mentorship, paintings revel in and a grant of as much as £6,000 as a contribution to path costs and residing charges.