Contracts: 10 lawyers retraining
Pioneering alternative business structure Riverview Law has launched a recruitment scheme for lawyers who want to retrain to handle commercial contract work.
The first cohort of its ‘Legal Re-Train’ programme has taken in 10 solicitors from family law, personal injury, litigation, industrial disease and employment for a two-year training programme.
They will receive legal training on commercial contracts, ‘on the job’ experience in at least two areas of Riverview Law’s managed service and/or projects business areas, and be taught to use Riverview’s bespoke technology Kim and other technologies used in the legal market.
The initial group is made up of five new recruits, one existing member of staff moving from the litigation team, and four other staff members who have been retraining without a formal scheme over the past couple of years. They will be on a fast-track version of the programme to finish their retraining.
The programme has been developed in-house but Riverview is also working on it with local academic institutions. The firm will seek to have it formally accredited.
Riverview – which now has nearly 200 staff – is already recruiting for its next cohort and plans to do so three or four times a year. Candidates will have at least two years’ PQE or equivalent legal market experience in a commercial specialism or some other business experience.
A spokeswoman said: “This is all part of making Riverview Law a great place to work, providing us with a range of insights and experiences from people who have great attitude and skill but who wish to move into a different area.
“It does widen the pool of people we can recruit, which is great given the rapid growth we are experiencing. We’re committed to growing and developing people during their careers at Riverview Law.”