School of Law and Social Justice partners up with six leading law firms to launch new ‘Law with a Year in Industry’
Launching on Wednesday 6 March 2024, with a breakfast networking event for invited lawyers, University of Liverpool staff and current law students, the School of Law and Social Justice’s new ‘Law with a Year in Industry’ course will offer students an exciting opportunity to spend their third year working with a prestigious law firm in the city of Liverpool, before returning to complete their final year of studies as a fourth year.
Students taking up the year-long placements will be paid by the respective law firms, and they will complete a reflective learning log as part of their assessment.
The six law firms who have partnered with the School of Law and Social Justice all have offices in Liverpool and deal with cases and clients in regional, national, and international capacities.
We are delighted to team up with the following firms:
For the inaugural year of the programme, this incredibly exciting opportunity is initially open to applications from current University of Liverpool 2nd year Law students. Due to the nature of this being a close collaboration with half a dozen firms, each offering paid work, the number of placements available is very limited. Students from under-represented backgrounds, or those who believe they would face barriers when entering the world of work, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Second year students wishing to apply for the Year in Industry should send a CV along with a short supporting statement (up to 300 words) when applications open on Wednesday 6 March to LawPlacements@liverpool.ac.uk by 2pm, Friday 15 March 2024, explaining why they want to do a placement year and why with that firm of solicitors.
Please note that Law with a Year in Industry is not open to external applicants and students cannot apply for a place via UCAS.
Dr. John Tribe, employability lead for the School of Law and Social Justice said:
“It is marvellous news that we have been able to partner with these excellent law firms to run this innovative year in industry programme. This new initiative will open up some fantastic opportunities for our students at the partner firms.
“The firms are leading law firms regionally, nationally, and internationally. The students will gain invaluable experience during their year in industry that will help towards their qualification as lawyers of the future.
“A key element of the University of Liverpool's 'Strategy 2031' is employability and work placements. This year in industry imitative enables the School of Law and Social Justice to contribute to this important student focused approach to employability.”
Prof Valsamis Mitsilegas, Dean of the School of Law and Social Justice said:
“It is a great pleasure to announce our partnership with a number of outstanding Liverpool-based law firms as we launch our innovative Year in Industry programme.
“These placements will provide unique understanding as our students spend a year working with these high-profile firms in the wonderful city of Liverpool. We believe in equal opportunity for all our students, and seek inclusivity in our partnerships, which is why we are delighted to have strong collaborations close to home.
“Spanning local, national, and global landscapes, these firms also ensure our students are strategically positioned to gain invaluable experiences, fostering personal and professional growth.
“As one of the largest and most successful Law Schools in the UK, we’re committed to providing world-leading legal education, both on campus and out there in the world.”
Carolyn Morgan, Director of Human Resources at Hill Dickinson said:
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Liverpool on its Year in Industry placement. As part of our partnership, we’ll be offering two students the chance to complete a one-year placement with us at Hill Dickinson, giving them real insight and practical experience to support their studies and future career aspirations. It’s a really exciting development in the law arena and we’re thrilled to be playing a part in that.”
Saleem Fazal MBE, Head of Liverpool office at Taylor Wessing said:
“We are excited to be welcoming our first student for their industrial placement, providing them with opportunity to gain real insight into the dynamic international tech and life sciences sectors and hands-on experience of client work.”
Paul Maddock, Director of Dispute Resolution at DWF said:
"We at DWF are delighted to be supporting UOL's innovative "Law with a Year in Industry" undergraduate degree – which now becomes a key part of our 'Supporting Scholars' D&I program delivered by DWF Early Careers. We will be the first firm to be exclusively supporting Ethnic Minority and Socially disadvantaged students, making it a great opportunity for students to gain valuable insights into working in the legal sector, gaining real life experience of advising clients, during their academic studies. Further, we are delighted that the students joining DWF will be paid the Real Living Wage and be afforded the opportunity to rotate between numerous DWF teams during their placement."
Find out more
- View the Law with a Year in Industry webpage
- Read our Law with a Year in Industry FAQs
- Enquiries can be sent via email to: LawPlacements@liverpool.ac.uk
- Explore our Employability and Enhancement opportunities