The Joe Sako Summer Workshop 2024: A roundup of Bristows’ work experience programme

Bristows was delighted to host 11 brilliant year 12 students on its third annual Joe Sako Summer Workshop. Between the 8th-11th July, these students visited Bristows’ offices to learn more about how to get into a career in law and to understand more about a variety of legal practice areas. The students also had the opportunity to develop their soft skills in a series of presentations, practical sessions and workshops, and to network with a range of people who hold a variety of roles at Bristows.

During the course of the week, the students shadowed lawyers, took a tour of the firm, and the Royal Courts of Justice, and heard from Bristows’ lawyers and a client about the differences between working as in-house legal counsel and as a lawyer in private practice. The students also joined in with a workshop on applications and interviews, practised their skills at a speed networking session and learnt more about routes into law, including via a session from our solicitor apprentices. Other activities included interactive discussions on different types of intellectual property and the legal issues that arise around them, consumer law, disputes, legal theory, counterfeiting, data protection and libel, and a regulatory law session about medical devices. 

Bristows’ annual Joe Sako Workshop offers a bespoke experience for students who meet the PRIME criteria, are interested in a career in law and who may not otherwise have an opportunity to undertake work experience in a law firm. It is organised and hosted by Bristows in memory of Joe Sako, who is represented by our new logo for the workshop, which celebrates Joe's trade mark handstand. Joe was an exceptional Associate at Bristows whose untimely passing in 2019 from meningitis has seen Joe deeply missed by all his friends and colleagues at Bristows. As Joe was incredibly passionate about increasing diversity in the legal profession and was heavily involved in Bristows’ previous work experience schemes with the Social Mobility Foundation, setting up this workshop in Joe’s memory is a very fitting tribute and we’re really proud that it is now in its third year.

The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive and we hope it stands them in good stead for the future (whether they choose to go into the legal industry or not!). Now to start planning next year’s programme as we look forward to hosting another excellent group of students!