Students have the opportunity to study at a top university and global law firm as part of a new course designed to prepare them for the growth in legal innovation and technology. The students will learn about how developments will change the role of judges and lawyers, as well as increase the potential for access to justice for litigants.

‘Legal placement’ degree

The University of Exeter and Reed Smith have joined forces to create the new four-year LLB ‘legal placement’ degree, which combines the a global top 100 legal education with an immersive, year-long placement at Reed Smith’s London office. The course, which also takes into account the new way solicitors are trained, will encourage students accepted on to the programme to think about how being a lawyer will change in the future. During their time on the placement, students will be supported by the firm’s innovation hub, practice innovation, technology and knowledge management teams to work on active innovation projects within Reed Smith. The focus is on innovation, service design, new and improved ways to deliver legal services, and use of efficiency and data technologies. Professor Sue Prince, from the University of Exeter law school and director of the programme, said “The aim of this programme is to deliver law training in a different and more innovative way, which meets the requirements of students and the legal industry. This is more than just a placement, it gives students a real opportunity to experience the world of law firms.”

Recruitment strategy

The degree is available to existing first year Exeter LLB students, with the first formal placement planned to take place in 2020 - 2021. Initially, up to five successful students will secure a place and will benefit from being able to sit within two different practice areas in the firm. All students that secure a place on the programme will benefit from a guaranteed Training Contract assessment whilst on their placement. Holly Allen, graduate recruitment manager at Reed Smith, said “Following the success of our existing Queen Mary LLB law in practice programme, we are absolutely delighted to be collaborating on this new innovative degree with Exeter. We continue to find ways in which we can innovate within our recruitment strategy, and how we compete for strong talent.” Lucy Dillon, chief knowledge officer at Reed Smith, commented “Innovation is one of Reed Smith’s core values, and exciting initiatives such as these bespoke LLB courses with Exeter and Queen Mary form a key part of developing our next-generation of lawyers, with a well-rounded view of legal practice, innovation, available technologies and improved service delivery, all focused on a deep understanding of clients’ needs.”