ADVANCE
Arthur Cox ADVANCE is an award-winning programme designed to mentor university students from minority racial or ethnic groups who are interested in a career in law. Arthur Cox recognises that the legal profession can be less accessible for students from minority race and ethnicity backgrounds. ADVANCE aims to make a legal career more transparent, provide learning opportunities for minority candidates and improve access to a legal career.
What will I gain from the programme?
- Mentorship on your career and professional ambitions from a lawyer in one of Ireland’s leading law firms.
- Knowledge of a career in law and at Arthur Cox.
- Networking with our partners, associates and trainees and with other participants on the programme.
- Skills geared towards maximising your success in the early stages of your career.
- Insight from our speakers and contributors.
- Contribute to Arthur Cox’s advances in equality, diversity and inclusion.
Selected applicants will take part in a three-stage programme:
- Orientation: We will welcome you to Arthur Cox’s office in Dublin where you will meet other participants and your mentor, a lawyer in the firm. We will hold introductory talks and workshops.
- Mentoring: Between January to April 2025, you will catch up with your mentor on a monthly basis to develop the knowledge and skills attained during the Orientation process. Mentoring sessions may take place in person or via video call, whatever suits you and your mentor best.
- ADVANCE Forum: You will return to Arthur Cox again to wrap up the programme and to give feedback on your experience to Arthur Cox leaders.
Who should apply?
Second and third year students in Irish universities and technological universities who come from a racial or ethnic minority background and who have a curiosity or interest in pursuing a career in law.
What is the application process?
You will need to register your interest here on our application form. The deadline for applications is 6pm, Friday 22 November 2024. There is no interview stage or CV requirement – only the form to be filled out. Participants will be selected based on interest but please note the number of slots we have are limited.
Will my expenses be covered?
For aspects of the programme hosted in our office in Dublin, we will cover rail or bus travel in Ireland and your lunch. We only anticipate hosting two events in the Dublin office during the programme (one is the orientation day in January mentioned above, the other is the wrap-up session in April, detailed further below under the Advance Forum heading).
Is this connected to the Arthur Cox trainee and intern programmes?
This is separate and distinct from our graduate recruitment, but you may also be interested in applying for these programmes.
What is the ADVANCE Forum?
At the conclusion of the mentoring stage of the programme, you will be invited back to Arthur Cox for the ADVANCE Forum. The ADVANCE Forum will include an inclusive conversation where Arthur Cox leaders engage with participants with the aim of identifying challenges faced by minority groups in accessing a career in law and opportunities for improvement in Arthur Cox and the legal profession as a whole.