Being a global organisation means much more than having offices around the world. If we are to be the leading global law firm, we have to have a team that reflects the cultures and values of the communities and arenas in which we work. It is the business case that puts inclusivity and diversity at the core of our performance – rather than being a sentiment or a notional requirement. It extends into many different areas of our firm, from recruitment, training and support within the workplace, to a growing investment in local communities and projects.
As an organisation we value difference and we want to make sure that we attract talented people from the widest possible pool. Once people are here, we aim to create an inclusive working environment where everyone can excel. We are working hard to promote this with the development of local diversity committees to allow our people to share their views and implement change. We also encourage staff network groups to allow Linklaters people with common interests to get together.
We have seven diversity networks in the London office which are designed to form a foundation for social activities and enable people to network and identify role models and mentors.
Each network is open to everyone within the firm as we aim to give all our people the opportunity to share views on diversity and the capacity to implement change. But, if anyone feels there’s a group that hasn’t been represented, they’re encouraged to set one up.
Our current London networks are:
Examples of recent network activities include:
In the UK, Linklaters sponsors and supports a number of programmes and schemes to encourage and support students to become high achievers and develop the skills necessary for future success. These schemes, which engage undergraduates or school students, aim to ensure everyone regardless of their background has the same access to a career in law. You can read about a selection of the schemes we have current involvement with via the hyperlinks below.
We are also helping to raise literacy and employability levels amongst children in over 40 Hackney schools through our Linking Work With Learning programme. This programme is the first community investment programme designed to develop employability skills in all schools in one London borough: a unique partnership between Linklaters and Hackney. We also support the StarLit children’s literature festival, which was the beneficiary of last year’s ‘Why No Freebies ’ campaign. More directly linked to our legal expertise, we also provide free legal advice to the parents of children with special educational needs in conjunction with The Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA).
One of our priorities is to create a truly inclusive culture. Our goal is to foster a working environment in which individual differences are respected and valued, and everyone has the opportunity to excel. This includes those who have a disability or long term health condition.
Linklaters supports numerous programmes that raise awareness on the subject of disability and the workplace. For the last two years we have participated in OPEN careers event and are members of the Graduate Recruiters Disability Cafe Club. As part of our corporate social responsibility activities, we have built up a relationship with the Disability Law Service and have provided secondees as well as regular volunteers, through our London Litigation Department, to assist with the provision of free legal advice to people with disabilities.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should feel confident to disclose this at any point during the recruitment process. There may not be the need to disclose your actual disability as long as we can provide the right level of support based on the information you give us. If you are not sure what adjustments you require, or if they are needed, we will work with you to establish the most suitable adjustments at each stage of the recruitment process and beyond.
If you would like to talk to a member of the graduate recruitment team in relation to any queries you may have on disability or long term health issues, including any requirements you may have in respect of our application process, please email graduate.recruitment@linklaters.com and we will arrange a time to contact you. Please note that our online application forms include a section in which you can inform us of any extenuating circumstances that are relevant for us to consider when reviewing your application.
If you have questions that you would prefer to raise with someone outside of Linklaters, please contact Helen Cooke at My+ Consulting on 01753 360 018 or at info@myplusconsulting.com.