A virtual law careers event for students with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

About our virtual event

Finding a graduate career is a big moment in your life. You’ve got a lot of decisions to make. What do you want to do? Where do you want to do it? Will it make you happy? Does it pay enough to support your future plans?

But for students with a disability or a long-term health condition, it doesn’t end there. You’re also trying to work out which businesses will support you properly. Who’ll enable you to manage your condition in the workplace? Who’ll empower you to do your best work? Are there prejudices to overcome in the profession?

If you’re wondering about a career in law, we can help. This interactive, virtual event provides undergraduates with disabilities and long-term health conditions with direct connections to law opportunities. You’ll talk to knowledgeable employers. Meet successful lawyers with disabilities. And you’ll get a sense for how to get ahead in a career that’s right for you.

Previous attending firms include: Macfarlanes, RPC, Weil and White & Case.

Can I attend this event?

To join us at our Access to Law event, there are a few things we’ll need you to be:

What do we mean by that? Well, first of all, don’t worry – we’re not going to ask you to prove anything to us. We’re looking to help anyone and everyone with a physical or mental condition that has a substantial long-term effect on their day-to-day life.

Your condition could be all kinds of things, many of them not covered here, but just a few examples include: mental health conditions, visual and hearing impairments, mobility impairments, Asperger’s Syndrome, diabetes, epilepsy, dyslexia, dyspraxia, mental health conditions, speech impairments and major illnesses such as cancer and MS.
A career in law is accessible for everyone – but that doesn’t change the fact that it can be competitive sometimes. The firms you’ll meet at the event will all support you, but you’ve got to be bright and curious too.

That said, we do know that not everyone has had the same opportunities to demonstrate that, and many people find themselves barred from academic success. So, with all that in mind, while we generally ask for good grades at A Level, we’ll carefully consider any and all mitigating circumstances.

What will you cover?

This half-day event is carefully crafted to provide all sorts of vital information about your potential future profession, from how you’ll be supported to how to apply, and whether to declare your condition. Each of our firms is here to get to know you personally, and provide you with all the honest insight they can.

Sessions include:

1. An introduction to law

Get the low-down on this endlessly fascinating profession and the variety of opportunities it presents.

2. Being proud of who you are

Discover why it’s good to be up-front about disabilities and health issues and what kind of support you can expect.

3. Recruiter-led skills sessions

Learn more about each stage of the recruitment process, and how to maximise your chances of success.

4. Panel discussions

Hear from senior representatives from the firms and previous event participants about their conditions and experiences of the profession.

5. Networking with firm representatives

Practise your newfound skills as you talk with representatives from participating firms.

Meet some of our previous attendees

Our organisers run a whole series of events to help young people from all kinds of backgrounds to crack their chosen industry – and plenty of them go on to internships and graduate programmes, thanks to us.

Kadir Abdul

Where did you go to university and what was your subject?

Bachelors of Law, The Open University.

What was it that appealed to you about a career in law?

I believe in the transformative power of law, to positively affect the lives of individuals and empower those who are relatively disadvantaged. I am wholeheartedly committed to a legal career, having completed my law degree while working as well as caring for two young children (nursery and primary school ages) and my elderly, disabled mother.

Where did you hear about Access to Law and why did you attend?

The Open University careers service.

What are the most important things you got out of the event?

The motivation and confidence to pursue my legal career dream.

How does your disability/health condition impact your life and work?

It has not had a detrimental effect, I have adjusted to the condition and adapted.

What kind of support have you received from your firm/colleagues?

CV advice.

What advice would you give others who are thinking of a career in law?

Keep focused and keep on trying, until you have reached your goal, then set new ones.

Where and when is the event held?

The next Access to Law event will be hosted virtually. If you register your interest and we confirm you as an attendee, we’ll let you know the all the platform details you need well in advance, as well as making any adjustments you might need.

If you have any questions, all you need to do is get in touch and ask us at events@staffordlong.com. This won’t affect your registration at all, and it’ll be kept in confidence by the event organisers, so please just let us know.

Get in touch

If there’s anything you want to know that isn’t covered here, if you’ve got feedback for us on how we can improve, or if you’ve got an idea for a future event, you can get in touch with us at events@staffordlong.co.uk