THREE Huddersfield law firms have launched a partnership with the university to give students a flying start to their legal careers.
The university has invited the three firms – Armitage Sykes, Eaton Smith and Chadwick Lawrence – to become its Partners in Law.
This is set to be the forerunner to a collaboration between “gown” and the professional practices.
The university has also reached a partnership arrangement with law firms DLA Piper, Eversheds, Hammonds, Pinsent Masons and Walker Morris in Leeds.
The partnership, which is the only one of its kind between legal practices and a university in the country, has been described as the equivalent to each firm receiving a visiting professorship.
The law firms will provide guest lectures, allowing students the chance to visit their premises.
It is hoped that eventually Huddersfield students will be able to take advantage of job opportunities in the practices.
The scheme has been pioneered by Huddersfield businessman Michael Woodhead, a member of the university’s governing council and a director of several companies.
He said: “This initiative helps meet the need for excellent, well-prepared graduates to enter the legal profession.
“It ensures that our students have an early introduction to the modern legal world, which now operates in a global context, and assist them in making the best possible start to their careers.
“For our partners the scheme offers an important opportunity to contribute to the development of future legal professionals.
“As one of them said: ‘Quite simply, as law firms, we have to put something back into universities because that is where we all had to start’.”
University vice-chancellor Prof Bob Cryan said: “We pride ourselves that graduates of the University of Huddersfield are well-equipped to take their place in the world of work.
“This initiative demonstrates our continuing commitment to keep abreast of developments in the legal world and ensure that our students receive real-life input to their academic studies.”
