We’ll start with a “day in the life of a paralegal” session, where you’ll hear what paralegals actually do, how they work with lawyers and clients, and the skills they use every day. You’ll also find out why the majority of students work as paralegals before securing a training contract, and how that experience can strengthen your applications and future career.
You’ll then take part in two group exercises:
1. Maternity Leave Scenario – Advising the Firm
Work in small teams on a realistic case study about a lawyer returning from maternity leave and feeling overlooked for client‑facing work. You’ll be asked to advise the firm’s Management Committee on:
• What the law firm should do
• What colleagues can do
• What the individual can do. This exercise builds your skills in empathy, problem‑solving and commercial awareness while exploring fairness and bias in a professional setting.
2. Design a Mini DEI Initiative – Women in Law
Next, you’ll design your own Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative to improve outcomes for women in law. With a budget of £1,000 and 12 months, your group will choose a target group (for example, school students, trainees, women of colour or first‑gen women), plan realistic activities, create a simple timeline, and decide how you’ll measure impact. You’ll then pitch your idea to a mock Partnership Board.
Throughout the day, you will:
• Gain a realistic understanding of the paralegal role and how it fits into the route to qualification
• Explore the challenges women face in law, including around maternity, progression and visibility
• Build key skills law firms look for: teamwork, communication, commercial thinking, problem‑solving and presentation
• Ask honest questions about routes into law, training contracts and work–life balance
This event is ideal for students who are:
• Considering a career in law or professional services
• Interested in gender equality, DEI and social justice
• Looking for practical, hands‑on experience that goes beyond typical career talks
Places are limited.