Top-tier law firm Beswicks Legal has proved that it is possible to recruit and retain the very best legal minds right here in Stoke-on-Trent.

Ryan Yates, Group Operations Director at Beswicks Legal, said: “The legal sector is notoriously competitive with ambitious solicitors frequently lured to law firms in bigger cities under the misconception that the quality of legal work there is better and career prospects enhanced, risking a brain-drain in smaller cities.

“However by recruiting talented people, whose personal and professional qualities dovetail with the company’s culture and values, offering an exciting career path with training and progression, and attracting big clients and high-quality work, we have bucked that trend.”

Beswicks Legal’s approach to training and development is multi-faceted, blending an online training platform that all employees can access with a range of routes for young talent to launch their careers and opportunities for more experienced lawyers to progress through our associateship and partnership frameworks.

In 2022/23 Beswicks Legal invested in a new online training platform. Every employee has an Access Workspace login, providing access to a dashboard where they can view and complete mandatory firm-wide governance, risk and compliance training, including courses on financial crime, data protection and equality and diversity. This ensures a consistently high level of skill and competency across the firm.

In addition they have invested in legal training provided by MBL Seminars. This platform is used by legal professionals to carry out continuous professional development in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority Continuing Competence Scheme.

Beswicks Legal believes in growing its own talent and has a strong track record of investing in graduates by providing them with training contracts.

This structured approach sees graduates benefit from four six-month placements over a two-year period. Each placement is with a different department, ensuring trainees experience the widest possible variety of legal disciplines.

During their training, graduates receive full supervision from a partner or head of department, learning from the very best in each legal field.

Once their training contract comes to an end, graduates can choose which area of law they wish to qualify into. The majority of trainees secure employment as solicitors at Beswicks.

Staffordshire University graduate Amber Mapledoram is a current Beswicks trainee. She began her career at Beswicks as a Private Wealth Paralegal before being awarded a training contract. She has completed her first placement within the Private Wealth team and is currently working with the Corporate and Commercial Law Department under the supervision of a number of partners.

Sarah Abbotts is now an established Family Solicitor but she began her career at Beswicks in 2017 after completing the Legal Practice Course at Staffordshire University. She completed her training contract in 2019, qualifying into the family team.

She said: “Training at Beswicks was amazing. I had the opportunity to work in multiple legal departments enabling me to find my preferred one.”

Over the last five years 10 graduates have been trained and supported to become fully-qualified solicitors at Beswicks, a significant investment in new talent.

Apprenticeships are a less well-trodden route into a career in law. However, with the support of Staffordshire University, Beswicks recruited and trained business administration apprentice Melissa Bailey.

Having shown a real flair for law, Melissa joined the Conveyancing and Property team on completion of her apprenticeship. She is now a Conveyancing and Property Paralegal and is completing a Chartered Institute of Legal Executives apprenticeship course at Staffordshire University.

Beswicks Legal has entered the Skills For The Future category of the Staffordshire University Business Awards.