- Farrer & Co wins ‘Top Law Firm’
- Mayer Brown leads the way in ‘Diversity & Inclusion’
- Freshfields wins ‘Best Website and Best Social Media’
The legal profession is becoming more inclusive to young people from all backgrounds – just this month the first Articled Apprenticeship was announced at a City firm, and the Magic Circle embraced diversity by signing up to the contextual recruitment programme.
Last night the industry’s innovation and dedication to recruiting the best was celebrated at the AllAboutLaw Awards in East London, at the glamorous art deco setting of Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel.
AllAboutLaw.co.uk – providing aspiring legal professionals with guidance on everything from courses, apprenticeships, vacation schemes and jobs – was assisted by expert panels to judge on a range of categories, and awarded 24 prizes in total in front of 100 guests.
These awards included ‘Top Law Firm’, won by Farrer & Co, ‘Best Training Contract’, picked up by Berwin Leigton Paisner – who walked away with four prizes in total – and ‘Best Vacation Scheme’, won by Weil.
A ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ award was also announced in partnership with Aspiring Solicitors, who judged the category. Mayer Brown picked up first prize, with Norton Rose Fulbright and Reed Smith being given Special Recognition awards for Most Improved Diversity Initiatives.
In keeping with the 21st Century approach, AllAboutLaw.co.uk awarded a ‘Best Website and Best Social Media’ prize, which went to event sponsors, Freshfields.
This category was judged by an independent student panel, made up of: Amandeep Bains, KCL English Literature graduate and future trainee solicitor at Slaughter and May; Aaron Marchant, KCL English Literature graduate and future trainee solicitor at Ashurst; and Ross Attfield, UEA Law (LLB) graduate, former President of the UEA Law Society and future trainee solicitor at Clyde & Co.
Aaron Merchant said: “The regularity of tweets means that Freshfields will always feature in your feed, so it's easy to keep up with everything that's going on.
“Helpful links to interviews and articles also make it easy for applicants to really get to know the firm.”
‘Best Law Firm for International Opportunities’, won by Shearman & Sterling, was awarded by an independent panel of experts: Beth Forrester, representative on the Law Society Council, Junior Lawyers’ Division of The Law Society of England & Wales; Michael Eddowes, Head of Business Development at LawWorks; and Professor Martin Partington, Author of An Introduction to the English Legal System, published by Oxford University Press.
Aside from the prizes awarded by panels, winners were decided by analysing the survey responses of each law firm’s trainees and vacation schemers, who answered questions about everything from career progression to company culture.
The results will be published in the AllAboutLaw.co.uk Employability Guide, which will be distributed to universities and undergraduate law students across the country.