Irwin Mitchell is to go into partnership with The College of Law and ILEX Tutorial College to offer specially tailored training courses to legal staff at all levels in the firm.
The three-year partnership, branded IMU Law and Business School, will offer non-legal staff and lawyers legal training alongside business skills training tailored to their expertise.
It comes as the firm prepares to convert to an alternative business structure (ABS) following the implementation of the Legal Services Act, which is expected in October (see story).
The firm said enhanced professional training would be designed to reflect its offerings to both consumer and business clients.
One of the challenges facing law firms looking to convert to an ABS is how to get lawyers and staff to shake off their law firm culture and adopt a new approach that is suitable to commercial and non-commercial clients.
Under the professional development scheme non-law graduates will be given the opportunity to complete the IM Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice.
Meanwhile, a series of professional post-qualification diploma level courses in legal practice will be introduced.
For associates and partners a post-graduate LLM Masters level qualification will be made available, incorporating the College of Law’s LLM programme with Irwin Mitchell’s career development programme.
Director of HR and training Andy Chalmers said: “ The IMU Law and Business School underpins our investment in personal and professional development, which is at the very heart of everything we do.”
