Walkers encourages lawyers of the future

(CNS): With a summer intern programme, sponsorship of further education for administrative staff and a legal secretary training programme, as well as the recruitment of promising students to train as attorneys, local legal firm Walkers says it’s doing its part to create Cayman’s lawyers of tomorrow. Overall Walkers has spent over US$1.9 million on scholarships over the past three years.

Fifteen students worked at Walkers under this year’s ‘Summer Intern Programme’ where the youngsters spent an intense two months in various firm’s departments throughout the firm.  Walker’s also currently has ten sponsored law students some of whom also spent the past summer working with Walkers. Among these participants is Ridhima Kapoor who said that 
working as a student at Walkers has been beneficial.

"It has been most helpful because I have a more defined view of the work that lawyers do from day-to-day. I have been able to attain some work experience in different areas of law during the summer and this has given me assistance with deciding where my future career should be within the industry," she said.

Her colleague Chantelle Day agreed. "Working at Walkers this summer, as well as in the past, has been beneficial to my professional development as it allows me to work in an environment where I can learn the ins and outs of the career path I am on, both through observation and hands on experience," she added.

Once the college based law study is over, the next step on the road to ‘attorneydom’ is a position as an Articled Clerk. Walkers’ Articles Programme is an 18-month practical training period, rotating through all of the firm’s practice areas. The clerks receive a combination of formal legal training and hands-on experience, giving them the chance to choose their specialisation. This September, Walkers took on four new Articled Clerks at the Cayman office.

“We encourage active participation and contribution, enabling our Articled Clerks to be rewarded with excellent training opportunities, tangible professional development and a real sense of accomplishment," said Richard Addlestone, partner with Walkers and chairman of the Training Committee, which is comprised of partners, senior attorneys and former scholarship recipients. "Walkers has been training Caymanians in the legal profession for 25 years now and we were the first firm in the country to establish a comprehensive structured training programme. All the members of the Training Committee are completely dedicated to the professional development and success of our Articled Clerks and sponsored students.”

Administrative staff at Walkers also benefit from educational sponsorship, with routine investment in the non-legal studies of employees from the IT, Marketing, HR and Accounts departments. Walkers’ legal secretary training programme has enabled many employees to gain important qualifications and make progress within the firm, while Walkers Trust Group, meanwhile, recently partnered with the ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators),to provide the opportunity for its staff to study locally and gain a globally recognised offshore administration qualification.

“Walkers’ summer intern and attorney training programmes have been developed from our commitment towards being a responsible employer and corporate citizen," added Grant Stein, Global Managing Partner of Walkers. "I am immensely pleased with the success rate of the students and would like to congratulate them on their achievements. Over 80% of Walkers’ management staff are Caymanian and we are always on the look out for promising young scholars.”