In this article Richard Boyd, Managing Partner at North Yorkshire Law, explores the benefits of investing in graduates for the legal sector.
Is your law firm expanding its team to meet increasing client demand? Before putting together a job advert requesting over three years of experience, specialist field practice and senior qualifications, make sure you consider how investment in legal graduates could be the best thing to bring your business forward.
Fresh and innovative ideas
With over 17,000 UK-based students accepted onto university-level law courses and 5,000 new traineeships registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the academic year 2015-16, it is clear that today’s student lawyers are the future of our industry and a great source of investment.
Hiring a recent graduate, or even a current student who is still undertaking their legal training, will ensure your firm is fuelled by fresh, innovative ideas, and always up-to -date on the most recent research, studies and practices in the ever-developing legal sector.
Advantages of apprenticeships
In case you haven’t heard of the exciting new government scheme, an Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April of this year with aims of making it easier for businesses to invest in apprenticeships, managing apprentices and providing high-standard training.
87% of employers who recruited an apprentice in the year 2015-16 have said they were satisfied with the government’s apprenticeship programme and 250 law firms have already signed up to receive the new Apprenticeship Levy. By hiring an apprentice, your business will be providing skills-based learning opportunities to grateful individuals whilst enjoying team expansion and gaining the skills needed to attain its strategic goals.
Bring your firm into the social media age
There’s no denying it, social media and digital communications are taking over the world of business, and the legal sector is no exception.
Generally speaking, the field of law has been orientated around a compliance to maintain our (often thought as outdated) traditions. From wearing wigs in courtrooms to using legal aids dating back to last century, law practitioners are often perceived as “behind the times”, or struggling to keep up with the technological advances of the modern business world. This is where hiring a recent graduate with an understanding of social networks will benefit your firm by bringing it into the digital era.
Today, now more than ever, firms are not only held accountable by their clients, but by their reputation to provide excellent legal services. Hiring a social media savvy graduate, who has grown up using social media and is an expert in both the digital world and their legal field, will mean your company benefits from a ready-made PR ambassador to build a successful brand for your firm at no additional cost.
I’m pleased to say that North Yorkshire Law are proud supporters of graduate investment, having recently recruited three promising, young professionals to our team. We look forward to recruiting more staff in the coming months in order to continue our business growth.
