Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Apprentice

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is a leading international law firm which acts for many of the most successful companies and institutions in the world in their high-stake matters and transactions. The firm has approximately 1,100 lawyers in 20 cities throughout the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The London office was established in 1996 and has grown to become the second largest of the firm’s worldwide offices, with over 95% of lawyers in London being English-qualified and around 80% of our work home grown. Weil’s strategy is focused on long-term investment in recruiting and retaining exceptional talent at all levels. Our people celebrate diversity and inclusion, and our award-winning pro-bono programme is deeply ingrained in the firm’s culture.

Leveraging Weil’s longstanding commitment to pro bono and community service, values which are deeply ingrained in the fabric of the firm, we have evolved our approach in London to establish a wider ESG framework which brings together the key areas of our culture by focusing on six pillars; Pro Bono, Inclusion, Community, Wellness & Social, Climate Action & Governance.

Our London ESG framework is led by a 25-strong partner and counsel committee who provide oversight, governance and support to the key Business Services teams who run each of the ESG pillars.

The CR&S Apprentice will be part of the London Pro Bono & Corporate Responsibility team and primarily help to facilitate and organise events as part of the Pro Bono & Community pillars of our ESG framework. In addition, the CR&S Apprentice will provide support to the other ESG groups such as Inclusion, Wellness & Social and Climate Action.

In 2020, Weil London provided more than 15,000 hours of pro bono (free) legal advice to charities, social enterprises and individuals. All Weil lawyers are expected to perform 50 pro bono hours a year and in London, all pro bono work is counted towards the time spent on billable matters.  The CR&S Apprentice will provide administrative support to our Pro Bono practice by organising training sessions for legal clinics like Mary Ward, IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Educational Advice) and Innocence Project, while also helping to organise pro bono events, analyse data and draft communications.

In December 2018, the London office launched a five-year fundraising strategy entitled ‘Improving Lives & Raising Aspirations’ which aims to raise £500,000 for a group of small charities that work to tackle homelessness, reduce poverty and boost social mobility. Partners and employees have so far raised almost half of that target and the CR&S Apprentice will be a key point of contact for our charities and be required to create, develop and launch fundraising events.  All London partners and employees are also encouraged to spend two days a year volunteering in the community via initiatives such as WEIL (Widening Entry Into Law) and Improving Lives & Raising Aspirations. The CR&S Apprentice will provide support in the organisation and delivery of employability workshops, mentoring and work experience for 300 state school students per year (WEIL) and those long-term unemployed or marginalised from employment opportunities.  

The CR&S Apprentice will work across all of these strands and provide additional support to help with data capture and analysis in relation to impact measurement and engagement levels.

This is not a routine office job; the CR&S Apprentice will be working on multiple initiatives that touch upon a number of focus areas that involve internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be passionate about social and environmental change, and strive to role model ethical behaviour and values. In addition, candidates will have to be organised, ambitious, willing to work outside of their comfort zone, and be detail-orientated while understanding the bigger picture.

Weil played a leading role in the development of the CRS Apprenticeship and this is a fantastic opportunity to get a foothold in a growing and exciting profession at one of the world’s most prestigious law firms.

We are seeking a passionate and target-driven candidate to join the Weil London Pro Bono & Corporate Responsibility team. The role will involve the following:

• Supporting the administration, delivery, development and reporting of the Pro Bono & Community pillars of our ESG framework
• Providing administrative and project management support to other ESG groups such as Inclusion, Wellness & Social and Climate Action
• Working with partners and employees across the Firm
• Supporting relationships the Firm has with pro bono clients and community partners

Initiatives the successful candidate will be involved in helping organise are:

• Pro Bono Training sessions for lawyers
• Volunteering training (for all staff)
• Weil Social Impact Matters Conference (annual event for pro bono clients)
• WEIL (Widening Entry Into Law)
• Improving Lives & Raising Aspirations (fundraising and volunteering events)
• Inclusion, Wellness & Social and Climate Action initiatives when required

The CR&S Apprentice will be expected to take ownership and provide support with the following tasks:

• Drafting content for the Weil portal and internal ESG communications
• Coordinating the ESG newsletter
• Preparation of reports and presentations
• Attending internal and external ESG-related events
• Taking minutes at all ESG-group committee meetings
• Providing administrative support to organise training sessions and events
• Monitoring, measuring and analysing data on pro bono and community impact and engagement
• Representing Weil in external ESG-related networks

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required to take on additional responsibilities as and when requested by your line manager.

Skills/Attributes

• Excellent team player
• Personable and confident, able to build relationships with partners/ key stakeholders
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to manage own workload effectively
• Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Resilient and calm under pressure
• Adaptable and flexible approach
• Pro-active and takes initiative

Minimum Requirements

• To be eligible for this apprenticeship you must hold 5 GCSEs (or equivalent), including Maths and English (non-UK qualifications also considered)
• Aged 18 or over by 1 September 2021
• Not undertaking another apprenticeship or government funded qualification at the same time

Qualification

You will be based in our London office. Throughout the apprenticeship program you will be working for four days per week and spend one day studying with the assigned tuition provider.

By the end of your apprenticeship you will have the following qualification:

• Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioner (Level 4)

Support

During the apprenticeship program we will entrust you with a lot of responsibility, and fully support you in a variety of ways to ensure you reach your potential.

• You will be assigned a supervisor who will mentor you and assign tasks throughout your apprenticeship. They will also provide training and feedback on how you are doing
• The London office has a hugely popular mentoring program and you will be offered a mentor when you start
• As well as the apprenticeship academic qualification, you will receive internal training from the Pro Bono & Corporate Responsibility team, and access to the wider-Firm professional development workshops

Application Process

• CV and supporting letter - in 500 words outline a key societal issue and discuss how this issue should be tackled

Application Deadline

• Friday 25 June 2021

Apprenticeship Start Date

• Monday 6 September 2021

• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance (4x annual salary)
• Income Protection Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• GP Service
• 25 days holiday
• Annual Well Being Allowance
• STL
• Discretionary Bonus Scheme