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Fieldfisher's Manchester office has signed up to support cross-company law returner programme which launched this November with events in Manchester and Leeds.
Women Returners is working with the UK Government, the Law Society and leading employers in Manchester and Leeds to support women and men get back into the legal sector following extended career breaks. Fieldfisher is one of 18 firms participating in the programme which is funded by the Government Equalities Office returners Fund.
Successful candidates for Law Returners will benefit from a paid 6-month professional placement, starting in February 2019. They will receive Career Returners Coaching from Women Returners, an internal mentor, technical support and mentoring from the Law Society and a ready-made peer support group. They will refresh their skills, experience and networks and will have a strong likelihood of ongoing employment at the end of the programme.
Participating employers will benefit from access to a relatively untapped high-calibre talent pool of legal professionals. They will be provided with expert consulting guidance from Women Returners in order to help them better understand and meet the needs of the returners, together with promotional, line manager and returner support.
This is a pilot programme aiming to kick-start returnships in the legal sector. If successful, it will be extended to other regions in the future on a commercial basis.
Julianne Miles, Managing Director of Women Returners said: “Following the rapid growth of returner programmes in sectors such as financial services, telecoms and construction, we are excited to be extending a concept with proven success into the law sector. We are also delighted to pilot the programme in the North of England, where returnships are much less established. The interest in the programme is high, as can be seen by the involvement of 18 law firms in this pilot programme.
“It can be very daunting trying to get back into work after a long career break. Many people who are highly skilled, well-qualified and with considerable business experience struggle to find the right opportunities.
Tom Freestone, HR Business Partner at Fieldfisher said: "We are pleased to be supporting such a valuable initiative that gives talented individuals the support, opportunities and guidance they need to resume their careers after a break.
Here at Fieldfisher we are committed to inclusive schemes like Law Returners that provides individuals with invaluable opportunity and experience that could lead to exciting careers in the legal sector. "