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What Diversity means to Addleshaw Goddard

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at Addleshaw Goddard

At Addleshaw Goddard, we recognise the importance of nurturing an inclusive culture to help us attract, retain and enable our people to be the best they can be.

In 2020 we introduced a new, Board approved inclusion strategy, which included:

Since 2020 we have kept our strategy under review to ensure that it remains ambitious and reflects the needs of our people. And hope that this strategic approach will create greater equality within our firm and foster a greater sense of belonging amongst our people. 

Now in 2024, our commitment to DE&I remains firm. We've invested heavily in our employee networks (which now have nearly 700 members) which include:

We also have two faith networks (our Muslim and Jewish communities) which colleagues can join.

It's through this greater investment in our DE&I programme that we can have more impact with our people, communities and clients and in recent years we've had some really positive successes, including:

We are active members of Interlaw Diversity Forum, The Legal Neurodiversity Network, WorkLife Central, Black Solicitors Network, NOTICED, Stonewall, the Valuable 500, City Solicitors Horizons, Regeneration Brainery and PRIME (an alliance of law firms that has undertaken to broaden access to the profession). Our central DE&I team has more than doubled in the last 3 years, so that we can have more impact with our people, communities and clients.

Removing barriers so that talent can shine

A key focus for Addleshaw Goddard is diversifying our trainee talent. To do this we have partnered with an external organisation, Rare, to introduce contextual recruitment and accountability into our graduate hiring process.

Contextual recruitment looks at the context of academic achievement, and identifies students who have surpassed expectations or performed excellently in conditions of adversity.

We have also removed our minimum A-level requirement to allow a more diverse pool of candidates to apply for training contracts at Addleshaw Goddard.

We review your application without personal information to ensure we do not allow bias of any kind to affect the process.

We have also increased the training for everyone involved in the recruitment process to ensure that we select people based on their ability, potential and nothing else.

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Diversity Access Schemes

We nurture strong links with reputable social mobility schemes and professional diversity networks such as the Aspiring Solicitors, Talent Tap, Regeneration Brainery, Uptree, Upskill Me, Leadership Through Sport and Business, Black Solicitors Network and PRIME and value their support and expertise when reaching out to untapped talent from non-traditional backgrounds.

We are signatories of the Social Mobility Business Compact: a government-led initiative which aims to reduce elitism and improve social mobility by encouraging businesses to open opportunities to everyone. 

We have always invested and partnered with local communities, schools and networks who are keen to raise the aspirations of young people – and will continue to do so by offering young talent opportunities to take part in quality work experience programmes and internships.

PRIME

We are a founding member of PRIME, an initiative through which law firms provide quality work experience placements to underprivileged school-age students. We work with local primary and secondary schools across London, Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh to inspire young people to fulfil their potential. Each year, between 25-30 students from years 12 and 13 take part in our Legal Access Week Programme.

Legal Explorers

In 2023 we launched the AG Legal Explorer programme – a year-long programme offering mentoring, a laptop and work shadowing opportunities for socially mobile students. The programme will run across offices in Edinburgh, Leeds, London and Manchester and will focus on preparing students to take the next step in their careers, such as applying for university or apprenticeship. 

Sonia McMahon Award

This award was establish following the death of a colleague, Sonia McMahon. Sonia was a champion of inclusion and was passionate about providing greater opportunities for those from less privileged background. The award is open to current law students and awards the two winners a £5,000 bursary (each), 12 months of mention and a week of work experience at the firm.  

Legal Access Scheme

Our award-winning Legal Access Scheme offers bright BPP University Law School students from unconventional or less privileged backgrounds a place on our summer placement programme. 24 students from this scheme have secured training contracts with us since its creation in 2007.

Lawscot Foundation

We have partnered with LawScot Foundation to enable the opportunity for students from less privileged backgrounds a place on our Summer placement scheme, along with providing a bursary for one student each year. 

Legal Apprenticeship Scheme

There’s no blueprint for bright. In fact, the opposite is true. That’s why we offer an alternative path into law for those who do not wish to go down the traditional university route.

Our Legal Apprenticeship Scheme, developed in Manchester and Leeds, is at the forefront of apprenticeships in the legal profession.

We have been recognised by the All About Group as a Top 100 Employer for School Leavers.

City Solicitors Horizons

City Solicitors Horizons (CSH) is a social mobility initiative designed to improve access to the legal profession for young people from less privileged backgrounds. It was created by the City of London Solicitors’ Company, City Solicitors’ Educational Trust (CSET) and The Legal Education Foundation (TLEF), and is supported by the City of London Law Society (CLLS) and leading law firms – including Addleshaw Goddard.

Students attending universities across London and southeast England are selected to take part in this three-year social mobility programme, alongside their undergraduate degrees, connecting with law firms who provide access to mentoring lawyers and practical work experience.

Talent Tap

In 2023 we started working with Talent Tap, which provides high quality work experience opportunities and to social mobility students in 'cold spots'. Residential accommodation is provided to the students, allowing them to take part in opportunities and work experience that might not have been able to otherwise.  

Street Law

Our new programme Street Law involves working with young people in schools to provide information about law and their rights and responsibilities. We work with low progression secondary schools to help raise aspirations and encourage young people to think about law as a possible career option, as well as providing useful legal information using interactive methods.  

SQE and Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships

The changes brought in by the SQE have meant that there is more flexibility around the way trainees can quality as solicitors and we are now able to offer more than one route to qualification. From 2025, our trainees can opt to qualify via the Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship or via the traditional training contract.

Training contract route

The training contract will continue in its current structure. There will be 4 seats each for a duration of 6 months and our March and September intakes will remain. Our first SQE intake of trainees commenced in September 2024. Any future trainees who have the LPC will not be required to undertake the SQE. For those needing the SQE, we will require them to pass SQE 1 and 2 assessments prior to commencing their training contract. This will be undertaken at BPP in the year prior to starting their training contract (e.g. September 2025 for September 2026 training contract start). It will be funded by AG and future trainees will be given maintenance grants during their year of study.

Those who have qualifying work experience are able to use this to shorten the length of their training contract, though the maximum time we permit a training contract to be shortened by is 12 months. 

Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship route

The duration of the apprenticeship will be 36 months. In year 1 apprentices will study and in years 2 and 3 will undertake their training contract. Apprentices will be employed by the firm from day 1 of their apprenticeship. The firm will sponsor apprentices through the SQE and they will be paid a salary during their period of study. During the training contract apprentices will undertake four seats each for a duration of 6 months, the same as our trainees. Apprentices will qualify at the same time as their cohort who will be on the training contract route.

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Diversity Data

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