JLD to host networking evening for jobless Halliwells trainees

The JLD, which is part of the Law Society, is organising a networking event in Manchester for students who were left without training contracts after Halliwells went into administration as well as other would-be lawyers seeking training contracts.

JLD chair Heidi Sandy said: “We’ve been monitoring the situation with Halliwells carefully over the last couple of weeks and we’re very alive to the disappointment and frustration that our members must now be feeling. The JLD is keen to do what we can to support anyone in this and similar situations elsewhere.”

The news comes after Bristol-based Burges Salmon launched a portal on its website for trainees to submit their CVs and offer letters, which will then be sent on to other firms taking part in the scheme, as exclusively reported by The Lawyer on Monday (2 August).

The first wave of CVs sent to firms signing up to the scheme will be from those offered contracts beginning this September. There will be further batches for the prospective January and June 2011 intakes.

Burges Salmon has also pledged that it would take on at least one of the 51 students left without training contracts.

At the JLD networking event there will be representatives from key trainee support groups in the region, career advisors from surrounding law schools as well as recruitment managers from local and national firms.

The event will be held next month (September), although no fixed date has yet been set.

Elsewhere, Liverpool-based Hill Dickinson is also doing its bit for the trainees it could not take on from Halliwells. The firm, which has taken over the now defunct firm’s Liverpool operations said it has all the contact details of the unemployed Halliwells trainees in Manchester and would be happy to pass them on to any interested parties who are able to help.