Freshfields starts in-house LLM

Magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has joined forces with Nottingham Law School in a groundbreaking partnership to design a postgraduate training programme for a European team of its lawyers, which can lead to an executive masters degree (LLM) qualification.

It is believed to be the first time in the UK that an LLM has been made available to lawyers as part of a firm's internal training programme.

The programme has been designed by Nottingham for Freshfields' environmental, planning and regulatory group, which has more than 120 lawyers across Europe.

The modular programme covers key aspects of the group's work and is being delivered to all the lawyers.

It may also be offered to group members outside Europe at a later date.

The lawyers have to attend practice-based modules delivered in different European locations.

They also submit written projects specifically geared to the firm's practice, covering such issues as comparative public and private law, and regulation.

Partner Malcolm Forster said: 'This is a positive step towards providing our lawyers with top-level learning that will lead to a formal qualification.

The programme also meets our internal objectives of integrating members of our international group through learning and improving ability to capture and share know-how.'

The next module of the programme will take place in Brussels, where delegates will take part in a simulated European Parliament environment committee meeting so as to equip them with the skills to consider the broader policy context of their work and clients' requirements.