A LAW firm is bucking the trend of suspended training programmes by continuing to develop the solicitors of the future despite the recession.

Beecham Peacock, in Newcastle, has taken on a new trainee – just as another finishes her training and becomes a fully-qualified solicitor.

Both women come from non-law backgrounds, having enjoyed successful careers before training in law. They believe their experience will help them to become better solicitors.

Emma Shaw, 35, worked for the NHS as a health promotion specialist before retraining in 2007.

She has just completed a two-year training contract with the firm, and is about to start work as a fully-fledged solicitor in the family department.

Philippa Weighell, 29, was a reporter for The Northern Echo before she decided to retrain as a solicitor in 2010. She will start her training in the firm’s personal injury department, having completed a sixmonth probationary period.

Practice director Mark Laverick said: “Training up new solicitors is a big investment for any firm, and in these difficult economic times, many firms are suspending their training programmes to save costs.

“However, at Beecham Peacock we believe that by investing in trainees we are investing in the future of the firm, enabling us to continue to offer the high standard of work our clients have come to expect.”