Following our hugely successful pilot in 2024, April 2025 saw our second SMILE programme. We received 89 applications and interviewed 32 candidates. The 17 students who joined us came from partner schools and colleges in six of our office localities. They spent three days in their base office, completing work in two different practice areas. We wanted to foster a sense of community as well as a positive group dynamic, so on Monday and Thursday, we split the cohort into groups determined by their base offices. Students from Cambridge, London and Sevenoaks were one group, and Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich were another.
The week began with a comprehensive induction in the London and Chelmsford offices, where students were welcomed with breakfast and lunch before being introduced to life at Birketts through sessions on personal branding, IT setup, and an engaging icebreaker. This was followed by legal workshops covering key practice areas to help set them up for success. On Tuesday and Wednesday, students joined their base offices, met their teams, and took part in university-led workshops and partner liaison sessions. Thursday brought the group back together in Ipswich or London for CV and interview skills sessions, introductions to business services, and insights into niche practice areas. The week concluded on Friday with final seat work, a celebratory lunch with buddies and partners, and a workshop on different routes into law, followed by a virtual cross-office Q&A panel featuring Birketts’ colleagues from varied career paths.
Throughout the week, we received valuable verbal feedback from students, colleagues, and partners. Feedback was incredibly positive, with many colleagues commenting on the students’ enthusiasm, professionalism, and their ability to engage with tasks and team members. 100% of the students said they would recommend SMILE to a friend, and said that going through the application process has given them a better understanding of what it is like to apply for a job. Students also gave our welcoming colleagues and our beautiful office environments a five-star rating. We were also thrilled that SMILE was recognised through Chris Schwer’s nomination for the ‘Social Mobility Champion of the Year’ award at the Legal500 ESG Awards. The nomination was based on Chris’s support of our 2024 programme and meant that Birketts was recognised as a significant contributor to social mobility in the legal profession.
In my 20 years at Birketts, I have never seen something captivate the firm like SMILE has.
Shaun Savory, HR Director