Top 100 law firm Norton Rose Fulbright is launching a new apprenticeship programme in Newcastle that will allow school leavers to kickstart their career in the legal industry.
The firm is launching two apprenticeship schemes, a solicitor programme in London and a paralegal programme in Newcastle. Both will start in September 2021.
The Newcastle programme will take place over two years and will see the paralegal apprentices join Norton Rose Fulbright's hub in the city centre, which is located on the Quayside.
Norton Rose Fulbright will initially hire three solicitor apprentices and six paralegal apprentices in its first intake, with both schemes being open to final year school leavers who are completing their A-Levels in 2021. During the apprenticeship, 20% of working time is ringfenced for studying, with the tuition fees funded by the apprenticeship levy.
The firm has launched the two programmes to engage and attract young talent from a "socio-economically diverse pool of high-performers". Its launch coincides with the firm's 10th anniversary of its social mobility strategy. The solicitor programme will span six years.
Peter Scott, Norton Rose Fulbright's managing partner for Europe, Middle East and Asia, said: “We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full potential and these apprenticeship programmes provide an exciting opportunity for students who want to have a career in law but may not have previously considered this.
"Our apprenticeship programme offers students an alternative route to the law, with a particular focus on training and digital innovation. We are excited to launch this important programme and look forward to welcoming our apprentices in September.”
Clementine Hogarth, co-chair of Advance, the firm's network aimed at finding socio-economically diverse talent, said: "The launch of our apprenticeship programme represents an important step in our social mobility journey and comes at a time when a spotlight has been shone on the need for action to improve access to professional industries and progression within them.
"We hope that through this programme we will be able to open up career opportunities to students in our local communities in South East London and Newcastle and we are excited to see a new, wider pool of talent applying to be part of our firm.”