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Demystifying Success in Law for Neurodiverse Junior Lawyers
Demystifying Success in Law for Neurodiverse Junior Lawyers panel and q&a session
This interactive panel event held on February 2023 brought together three brilliant legal professionals who are neurodiverse and shared their experiences of legal education and working in the sector, through a lens focused on ADHD and Autism. This event was aimed at anyone who has an interest in Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace, Is a neurodiverse student or legal employee or a legal professional who wanted to understand and support their colleagues/staff in the workplace.
Areas covered:
- The legal education journey through a neurodiverse lens
- Application and interview processes and the challenges they pose
- The workplace experience
- Tips for firms looking to employ and retain neurodiverse employees
Watch the full panel event below
Our Speakers
Concetta Scrimshaw - Trainee Solicitor at Pinsent Masons
Concetta Scrimshaw (Connie) is a Trainee Solicitor at Pinsent Masons, based in the Leeds office, due to qualify in September 2023. She is interested in intellectual property, technology law, and life sciences. She has a First Class Honours degree in Law from Durham University and completed her LPC at the University of Law. Connie was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 24 and is passionate about raising awareness of and celebrating neurodiversity in the legal profession. In her free time, Connie likes listening to 80s music, watching James Bond films, running, and drawing.
Ibrahim Mohammed - Future Trainee Solicitor
Ibrahim Mohammed (known as Ibz Mo) was born and raised in a single-parent household in Hackney, East London, where he was state school-educated. Mo studied psychology at Cambridge University, graduating in 2019 and going on to complete the year-long GDL course at BPP University. He began a masters in education at Oxford University in 2020, where his dissertation focused on the experiences of low socio-economic undergraduates at Oxbridge. Ibrahim has worked with The Guardian, We are Unicorn, The Access platform, Debut, Deliveroo & Currys/Pc World and more to help break down inaccurate stereotypes of students that have discouraged many ethnic minorities and working class student from applying to elite universities.
Phillip Steventon - Associate at Creased Puddle
Phil is an experienced paralegal and currently a Trainee Legal Executive. Phil is also the author behind The Neurodivergent Lawyer blog, a platform that explores topics such as EDI, Legal news, education and more. Phil regularly writes for LawCareers.net tackling subjects such as neurodiversity and the legal sector. Phil is also a neurodiversity inclusion consultant.
Resources
As awareness and understanding of neurodiversity increases globally, so has the amount of support groups, charities and more. Below is a list of resources for neurodiversity in law, including notable people to follow, organisations and support groups, information for firms and more.
Persons:
- Ibrahim Mohammed (Known as Ibz Mo) - Self-made Education Influencer and future Trainee Solicitor with ADHD
- Concetta Scrimshaw - Autistic Trainee Solicitor at Pinsent Masons, recently featured on Legal Cheek
- Philip Steventon - Trainee Legal Executive and author of The Neurodivergent Lawyer blog
- Viktoriia Sereda - Penultimate year law student, Queen Mary Uni, ADHD, Chair of QMU Neurodivergence Society
- Ludmila Praslova - Professor of Psychology, Contributor to Harvard Business Review, topics include workplace inclusion
- Professor Amanda Kirby - Academic, author, neurodiversity campaigner, researcher
- Amelia Platton - Future Trainee Solicitor at Clifford Chance, creator of the ND Lawyer Project group, Autistic and Dyspraxic
Organisations and dates:
- Neurodiversity in Business: LinkedIn, Neurodiversity in Business website
- Neurodiversity in Law: LinkedIn, Neurodiversity in Law website
- Neurodiversity Celebration week (An annual celebration taking place in March)
- Disabled Solicitors Network
Tips for Firms:
- Reasonable adjustments in organisations and best practice for disability inclusion│ The Law Society
- Easy wins and action points for disability inclusion in both large and small firms │ The Law Society
Support for neurodiverse individuals:
- Access to Work scheme
- Scholarship opportunities with Law Society DAS & The College of Legal Practice
- Notable inclusive firms:
- Browne Jacobson - UK's number one Social Mobility Employer for the second year running
- Pinsent Masons - Awarded Silver status for six consecutive years by leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall in its Global Workplace Equality Index
- Reed Smith - Scored 100% for disability inclusion by the Disability Equality Index 2022 Best Places to work for disability inclusion
It kind of feels a bit like using a different internet browser to the rest of the world… It affects the way that I process and interpret information around me and how I respond to, interact and process and go through the world around me. I find it to be equal parts difficult but beautiful at the same time...
