City firms join Aspiring Solicitors at event promoting disabilities awareness

Reed Smith and Mayer Brown joined Aspiring Solicitors at an event discussing how to increase awareness and understanding of disabilities in the legal profession earlier this month.

On 13 April, LCN diversity partner Aspiring Solicitors brought its members together with lawyers to network and discuss key issues surrounding disabilities from a career perspective, including when and how to disclose disabilities to employers and the implementation of necessary adjustments for vacation scheme students and trainee solicitors with disabilities.

Reed Smith and Mayer Brown have both recruited Aspiring Solicitors members during the last year.

Carolyn Pepper, partner at Reed Smith and chair of the firm's disability task force, said: "We want to attract the best talent from every available talent pool without any limit. The work that we have done so far is only the beginning. The challenge is to ensure that people with disabilities feel comfortable disclosing their disabilities when going through the recruitment process and trust the potential employer not to discriminate so that any necessary adjustments can be made. We hope this event will help employers to meet those challenges and increase the recruitment and retention of solicitors with disabilities."

Annette Sheridan chief human resources officer at Mayer Brown, commented: "Lawyers with disabilities is one of the most under-represented groups in the legal profession. We work with our partner organisations, such as Aspiring Solicitors and the Business Disability Forum, to have recruitment processes and jobs that are accessible to those with disabilities and to encourage more people with disabilities to have the confidence to apply to us. We are delighted to host the first AS Ability event, which promises to stimulate meaningful debate, challenge assumptions and provide greater understanding of the steps that will enable more disabled people to pursue a legal career."