Employability is one of the cornerstones of Swansea Law- it represents a central part of the three-way relationship between the University, our students, and practitioners. In the 2025/2026 academic year, the Employability Leads at the Law School, Geraint Fry and Matthew Parry, have worked hard to add additional energy to the existing strong programme, and to increase the opportunities for students and employers to know each other better.
Over the course of the year, we have facilitated over a hundred placements for students at undergraduate and post-graduate level across three windows: the October reading week, Easter, and, ongoing now, over this Summer. Geraint and Matthew are looking forward to visiting the firms and Chambers during these placements to renew the connections and learn from the students and employers what they have gained and how we can do more and go further in 2026/2027. Placements have been established at: JCP Solicitors, A & O Shearman, RedKite LLP, Morgan LaRoche, W.Parry & Co, CJCH, CJHH, ADVE, Darwin Gray, Pendragon Chambers, BWL, Sam Hawkins Property Lawyers, Kirsty’s Law, Goldstones Solicitors, Price & Kelway, Peter Lynn & Partners, JNP Legal, Gomer Williams, Iscoed Chambers, Courtland Law, Acuity Law, and the Smith Llewellyn Partnership.
Outside of the formal placement process the Law School has helped law firms to facilitate placements with additional students, with Goldstones Solicitors, Howells Solicitors, and JCP all receiving funding from the Central Employability team to provide funded internships, and unpaid placements being secured for firms following specific requests. This has been a fantastic example of the flexibility of the Employability team allowing both employer and student to benefit from the opportunities.
The Law School has also been grateful to RedKite Solicitors, JCP Solicitors, Angel Chambers, and Pendragon Chambers for supporting a new innovation- the mock assessment day. This has involved students being observed by the firms and Chambers as they carry out exercises that are typical of the activity they may be asked to complete on a formal Assessment Day or at a job interview. All of the students have come away with a greater understanding of those particular experiences and equipped with new tools to help them forge their path forward.
In February the Law School sought to increase the diversity of access and hosted an Additional Careers Day with attendees including the South Wales Police, Natural Resources Wales, and the Citizens Advice Bureau to give students additional insight into paths they can take. Next year we will be returning with a traditional Careers Fayre, and we hope to host as many organisations as possible.
The University’s commitment to “prepare and promote the employability of students” together with its commitment to research has also been renewed with the Law School receiving funding for eight SPIN internships where students work alongside academics, gaining new skills that give them a clear window into the life of an academic beyond teaching and assessment.
Over the coming summer, Geraint and Matthew are looking forward to meeting with existing partners and new potential partners with a view to solidifying and maximising the opportunities that we can provide for students. Now, more than ever, students come to Swansea Law, not just to learn the law, but to learn how they will use it as part of their careers and as part of their everyday life. The University motto of “Technical skill is bereft without culture” could not be more applicable here as we always look to enhance the employability culture for our students.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at g.i.fry@swansea.ac.uk and m.j.parry@swansea – we can’t wait to hear from you.