As a founder firm of the PRIME initiative, our first placement programme took place in July 2012 to a dozen or so students from St Angela’s school in Newham. The programme has gone from strength to strength each year in developing a scheme that offers the students a wide range of experiences, training and interaction with professionals from the legal world and wider businesses. Our intention is that this provides the students with an opportunity to be better informed about the range of careers available in a fun and varied way. Since embarking on the initiative, we have seen the true impact and reach of PRIME, through students looking to secure additional work experience with suppliers they met during the programme and more recently, a participant in our 2016 programme successfully applying for the firm’s Aspire award, our student sponsorship programme which aims to support students from less advantaged backgrounds who wish to study law. The firm is delighted to be supporting Golddy Gamor as she embarks on her law degree at Bristol University, providing her with an annual bursary, a mentor from the firm and a place on our student vacation scheme.
Here Golddy talks about her story with the firm and the insight she initially gained from our PRIME programme.
“My first experience with Trowers & Hamlins was during the PRIME week in June 2016, where I was one of the students selected by my school to attend. Having spent some time at large, commercial firms previously, Trowers & Hamlins offered a smaller but much more interesting and welcoming atmosphere. We were introduced to some lawyers at the firm and received the opportunity to visit the Royal Courts of Justice as well as shadow some firm employees. It was refreshing to not be limited to shadowing the solicitors in the firm, as often is the case at law work experience weeks, but also other firm employees such as legal executives. It was useful to gain some insight into the other jobs inside of a law career, which I was previously unaware of. Further to this, we received workshops on writing a CV, personal statements and skills sessions – which were all very important and applicable to more than just working as a lawyer. I greatly made use of these sessions when it came to filling out my UCAS application, amongst other things such as interviews. I appreciate how Trowers & Hamlins did not make the PRIME week solely based around the life of lawyers at the firm, but encompassed other important elements too.
My PRIME week at the firm was incredibly enjoyable and continues to be my favourite work experience placement by far. The friendly feel of the place, the detailed insight I received into its day-to-day practices and the unique way it overlaps into being a city firm, but also a regional and international firm attracted me. When I heard about the Aspire programme, because of the overwhelmingly positive experience I had at PRIME, I was quick to apply. Receiving the rewards of securing a place on the vacation scheme and possibly a training contract (all being well) is an amazing prospect, as I would love to work at a firm like this. The support and help I’ve received from Trowers & Hamlins during my sixth form studies and now that I have begun university has been fantastic. I am very grateful to have developed a relationship with such a great firm and am excited to see this relationship grow throughout the course of my law degree (and hopefully beyond that!). “
Golddy’s journey with the firm has been a real success story for the PRIME scheme and the firm’s efforts to link up our CSR initiatives in engaging with the local community, emphasising our commitment to increasing diversity within the legal profession.
