The UWE programme provides a work experience and mentoring programme at local law firms for final year undergraduates to support inclusivity and diversity within the legal profession.
As well as Clarke Willmott, law firms Osborne Clarke, Burges Salmon, Simmons & Simmons, Foot Anstey and RPC are involved in UWE Futures, plus TV and film production company Plimsoll Productions.
UWE student Aniqa Jamil says she has developed a strong understanding of marketing as well as boosting her self-confidence and personal networks during a five-day internship at national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP.
Aniqa, a third-year law student, is one of three students who worked in Clarke Willmott’s Bristol office. The programme was designed to directly help students who typically find it challenging to enter the legal and professional services market and to increase representation in the Bristol legal sector.
Students participate in a paid one-week internship, receive mentoring support for one year, and have the opportunity to either secure an extended internship with participating firms or be offered a guaranteed interview for suitable roles.
Aniqa’s time at Clarke Willmott involved an introduction to the firm and what’s important to them including its ESG strategy and understanding and looking after clients. During her application she shared an interest in marketing and was partnered with the marketing team for the week, getting to grips with marketing principles and working on tasks to provide content that can be shared to promote the UWE Futures programme to other students, including writing an article for the press and for the website as well as creating social media posts.
“During my time at Clarke Willmott, I developed a deep understanding of the impact of website layouts, press releases like this one and social media posts on effective marketing,” says Aniqa.
“The supportive and approachable culture fostered by both legal and business teams has enhanced my confidence and motivation, as well as broadening my network.”
Daniel Jones, director of HR at Clarke Willmott said: “It’s crucial that we change the narrative going forward, open the door to historically underrepresented groups and unlock the best talent. The only way we can achieve this is by coming together and collectively investing in initiatives like UWE Futures.”
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