On Wednesday 11 October, and in the same week World Mental Health Day was marked, Leeds Trinity University’s partner, LegalTech in Leeds, hosted an event called ‘How to Progress in Your Law Firm without Digital Burnout’.

Figures show that 69% of lawyers have suffered with their mental health, including work-related anxiety, depression and burnout, making this an important topic to explore and address. As a University we are proud to have sponsored this regional initiative and worked with law firm Walker Morris - the largest single site law firm in the UK, to host this event at their Leeds city centre base.

Charlotte Rainey, Employer Partnerships Manager at Leeds Trinity, and I worked closely with the team from LegalTech in Leeds to source a diverse range of speakers and develop a programme to stimulate discussion amongst attendees. The day featured presentations from representatives of Leeds Law Society, specialist litigation lawyers Stewarts, Walker Morris, Legal Studio, who offer legal support for businesses, Live More Offline and the MindYourself App, which aims to make mental health support accessible to everyone.

The topics covered included: the stresses of working within the legal industry and how they can be managed, personal experiences of work-related mental health problems, recent improvements made in support systems and policies and how to stay organised and manage workload.

Charlotte, along with Dr Simon Best, Senior Lecturer in Law at Leeds Trinity University, also spoke about the University’s approach to working and forming partnerships with employers. Our ‘Strategic Employer Partnerships’ programme offers employers a chance to influence the curriculum, co-create delivery, inspire students, identify and recruit talent at the University and offer placement and project opportunities.

With the opening of the University’s Leeds City Campus in Trevelyan Square planned for the 2024/25 academic year, we want to create more opportunities for our students to work with employers based in the heart of Leeds than ever before. There is a particular focus on legal and tech, and those interested in finding out more can email [email protected] for further details.

An example of this is the ‘LegalTech module’ that is to be added to the Law offering at Leeds Trinity from from the 2025/26 academic year. When introduced, we will be seeking out input and suggestions from employers and those with an up-to-date knowledge of the industry so the module can be tailored to ensure students are being taught the skills required to thrive in today’s world.

At the event, both Charlotte and Simon spoke about the importance of preparing our students for the realities of the world of work. They highlighted the help available from our Student Support services whilst studying at Leeds Trinity.

The speakers brought with them a broad range of different experiences and perspectives, such as the views of a HR team of a large law firm and consultants who specialise in training and digital solutions to support those working in law and the wider workplace. This resulted in an open, honest and supportive discussion with attendees, who I’m confident all picked up useful tips and learnt valuable lessons.

For more information about the ‘How to Progress in Your Law Firm without Digital Burnout’ event, visit the LegalTech in Leeds website. 

Helen Perkins is Employer Partnerships Coordinator at Leeds Trinity University.