Leeds launch Access to Practice scheme 2009

14 January 2009

BPP Law School in Leeds launched its Access to Practice mentoring scheme last night. The annual event was officially launched by David Barraclough, president of the Leeds Law Society. This is the fourth successful year the scheme has run and focuses on matching current LPC and GDL students with solicitor mentors over a five month period. Year on year the scheme has grown and the scheme now boasts 160 practitioners who have volunteered to take part. Mentors include representatives from private practice, public sector, in-house and government agencies. The range of expertise encompasses almost all areas of practice from trainee to senior partner in international, national, regional and local practices.

The scheme is targeted at students without a training contract who have little or no contact with the legal profession to date. This scheme enables them to access the legal profession and gain an invaluable insight into the life of a practising solicitor. The mentors dedicate at least five hours of their time to their student providing guidance on their applications for training contracts, improving their interview techniques and enabling the student to build a network of contacts within their chosen area of practice.

From last year’s scheme:

“My mentor was fantastic. He was really friendly and helped me a lot with my technique before my successful interview for a training contract.”

Laura Salvati
LPC Leeds 2007/08
Trainee, Brooke North Solicitors

“I have found that the scheme has built my confidence and helped me to develop contacts.”

Claire Hill 
GDL Leeds 2007/08, LPC Leeds 2008/09
Trainee, Beachcroft

A large number of BPP alumni volunteered to take part in the scheme this year after benefiting from the scheme themselves during their study at BPP Law School.

Liz Smart, Senior Academic, Leeds, said; “The evening was a resounding success, in particular I was delighted with the enthusiasm and support of BPP’s ever growing alumni here in Leeds.”

Notes to editors:

The Access to Practice scheme runs at all BPP Law Schools in Leeds, London and Manchester. Each year the scheme attracts over 300 practice advisers.

About BPP College of Professional Studies Limited

BPP College of Professional Studies (“BPP College”), which comprises BPP Business School and BPP Law School, is the first private sector, publicly-owned company to be granted degree-awarding powers by the Privy Council. BPP College delivers business and law programmes across four centres; Leeds, London (Holborn and Waterloo) and Manchester and has more than 5,500 students. For more information about BPP College please visit www.bppuc.com

For more information contact:

Kate Bassett or Hilary Yeo, BPP Law School, Leeds.

katebassett@bpp.com, 0113 386 8295
hilaryyeo@bpp.com, 0113 386 8274