What you need to know

programme overview
	Week 1: During the last week of July, students will spend a week at our London Office, gaining an insight into life at the firm. Students will spend two days with a legal supervisor in departments across the office and on the remaining days will take part in interactive skills sessions and workshops, involving representatives from Ashurst and our clients.
	Week 2: During the first week of August, students will spend a day at five different organisations* as part of the Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP). During this week students will receive an in-depth overview of each organisations as well as the role of an -In-house lawyer.
	Ongoing support: Students will be matched with a volunteer mentor from Ashurst throughout Year 13. This will provide students with a greater insight into life as a lawyer as well as guidance on taking the next steps into higher education or employment.

Who are we looking for?

Our Access Ashurst programme criteria is based on the criteria set out by Prime.

• You want to study Law or gain employment in a law-related field after school.
• Be in Year 12 at school.
• Be attending, and have attended from aged 11, a state funded, non-fee paying school/college.
• You grew up in a household where no parent or guardian attended university.

You must also meet one or more of the following:

• Be currently in receipt of, or have previously received, free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or 16 to 19 Bursary.
• Be currently in or have previously been in local authority care (for a period of 3 months or longer).
• Be currently or have been, a full-time or part-time carer.
• Have come to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker.
• Be attending a state school or college with:
  a) below average A-Level or Higher point score and/or
  b) low rate of progression to higher education.

Visit the Prime website for more information on how to determine whether your school meets the above criteria.

Note: young people who meet the local authority care criterion do not need to meet any other criterion. These criteria are not exhaustive and may be amended over time.

Search and apply

To search and apply for vacancies and read more detailed job descriptions, please visit our jobs portal.

When to apply

application process
	Online application form: The application form includes a series of questions to help us learn more about you, your interest in our Access Ashurst programme and your passion for a career in commercial law. Top tips: Make sure you allow plenty of time to complete the application form – this should include time at the end to carefully proof read your application before submitting. We suggest that you draft your application in Microsoft Word to make use of the spelling and grammar checker. Spend time researching Ashurst and the type of law we specialise in – remember to mention why this type of law interests you. Use the word limit as guidance for how much you should write and remember to back up your statements with relevant research and examples. Try to avoid long sentences where these are not needed - short sentences are easier to read and will help you to get your point across more clearly. Finally, don't be tempted to copy and paste from our website – we want to read your own words and not ours!  Videos: We have put together two videos to support you with completing your application form: Video 1: Application form top tips (22 mins) Video 2: Insight into a career in commercial law (14 mins)
	Online cognitive ability tests: Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an invitation within seven days to complete a psychometric assessment called Cognify. The assessment will require you to complete a series of online games measuring your problem solving and analytical skills. Please ensure you complete the tests within seven days of receiving these. We are unable to offer any extensions for candidates who do not complete these on time. Top tips: To find out more information on what the tests entail and how you can prepare, please visit Revelian Candidate Support/Ashurst Assessments.
	Telephone interview: The telephone interview will take approximately 30 minutes and will be with a member of Ashurst's Social Impact or Human Resources (HR) teams or with an Ashurst lawyer actively involved in our Access Ashurst programme. The interview questions will help us understand your passion for a career in commercial law and your interest in our Access Ashurst programme. We will also ask you a series of competency questions to help us learn more about the skills and experiences you have that make you a strong candidate for the programme. Top tips: Make sure you allow plenty of time to prepare for your interview by researching Ashurst and the type of law that we specialise in. Think about the skills and experiences that you have and how these might match with the skills and experiences we look for in our junior lawyers.

Feedback from Access Ashurst alumni

"Participating in the Access Ashurst programme was extremely beneficial for me as it provided me with a lot of insight into law. As well as this, I have made so many connections from participating in this programme, and have developed many skills that will make me a favourable candidate for university as well as the legal industry."

"I enjoyed my week at Ashurst thoroughly, but the best bit of the week had to be working with my mentor. My mentor gave me a lot of useful advice regarding university, interviews, personal statements and CVs. Not only did she answer the many questions that I had, but she also made me feel extremely welcome in her work environment and gave me feedback on the work that I had completed."

"Thank you for being my supervisor at Ashurst – you made my experience enjoyable and memorable. Thank you for being so generous with your time and for encouraging me to keep working hard at school. I found you inspirational because you showed me how women who wear the hijab can be solicitors in successful law firms. You were friendly and approachable and you made me feel comfortable in a new environment."

Disability and long-term health conditions

We are committed to making all stages of our recruitment process accessible to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions. If you consider yourself to have a disability or a long-term health condition, please feel able to be open about this at any point during the recruitment process. If you are not sure what adjustments you require, we will work with you to establish the most suitable adjustments at each stage of the recruitment process. Please note that our online application form includes a section which allows you to advise us of any extenuating circumstances that are relevant for us to consider when reviewing your application form.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team in relation to any queries you may have on your disability or long-term health condition and the recruitment process, please get in touch. Any information disclosed on your disability will remain strictly confidential.