Boult’s latest edition of the Pathways to Law and Pathways to Engineering programme took place last month in collaboration with The Sutton Trust. The sessions took place over three days in the Boult London office and online, providing attendees with a hands-on introduction to the intellectual property (IP) industry and some of the skills they will need to thrive in the industry.
The sessions were attended by a cohort of students from a diverse range of backgrounds, currently considering their university options. Over the course of the three days, attendees received an introduction to the IP field as well as an overview of the different career paths available within the industry. They also gained an insight into the day-to-day work of an attorney through practical tasks and took part in Q&A sessions with some of our recent trainees. These IP-specific sessions were complemented with transferable skills sessions, focusing on CV writing and networking.
An introduction to The Sutton Trust
The Sutton Trust champions social mobility, aiming to inspire and encourage students from less-advantaged backgrounds to consider potential careers in STEM and professional industries. This is achieved through its various programmes, including the Pathways to Law and Pathways to Engineering variants which Boult helps to deliver. We have been a proud partner of the Sutton Trust since 2020.
Why our work with the Sutton Trust matters to Bout
Boult’s Pathways programme with The Sutton Trust is run through the help of a dedicated volunteer team, with fee earners and support staff offering their time to organise the programme and make the days a success for attendees. Their hard work has been recognised by fantastic feedback from past alumni of the programme, now in its sixth year.
We asked a few of our volunteers about their involvement with the programme and why supporting the work of The Sutton Trust was important to them:
“I was excited to get involved with the Sutton Trust placement to help make this profession more accessible and hopefully inspire students to learn more about IP!” – Anna Jones, Patent Assistant
“I chose to get involved with the Sutton Trust placement scheme as I believe that introducing young people to careers that could form part of their future, and showing them the road to those careers, will lead to a more balanced and diverse workplace.” – David Smitten, Patent Attorney
“I am very proud of being a woman in STEM and passionate about my choice of career as a Patent Attorney, so being able to share my experience with others through the Sutton Trust placement is extremely rewarding to me. I am grateful for the chance to take part in programmes such as this where I can help bring visibility to the IP profession.” – Claudia Bustamante, Patent Attorney
Boult is committed to raising awareness of the IP field to young people from all backgrounds and supporting greater social mobility in our industry. Find out more about our approach to being a responsible business here.
