Switalskis welcomes three rising stars to legal qualification pathway

Law firm Switalskis has confirmed training contracts with three of its paralegals in Leeds and Doncaster, supporting their progression to become qualified solicitors.

Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay and Ellie Thompson have all progressed from paralegal roles at Switalskis to secure training contracts through the firm’s bespoke Qualifying Solicitors Programme (QSP). They bring the total number of people on the programme to 32 across its 12 UK offices.

Naila Arif, based in Doncaster and with Switalskis since 2023, brings experience from both the child abuse compensation and property development teams. Harriet Findlay joined Switalskis’ Leeds office in 2024, working in property law and most recently within the new build conveyancing team. Ellie Thompson, also Leeds-based, has spent almost two years in the Court of Protection team.

Amy Clowrey, director and training principal at Switalskis, says: “It’s a privilege to support Naila, Harriet and Ellie and provide a springboard to take them further in their careers. Awarding training contracts recognises the dedication, care and passion they each bring to our firm. They’ve already demonstrated excellent performance as paralegals, receiving outstanding feedback from their teams and clients. They also have strong involvement in wider initiatives including our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee and charity events.

“We’re an agile firm and are constantly reviewing training options to be as inclusive as possible. Our people set our firm apart, so we invest to attract the right people and support those bright stars to become the best in their chosen areas of law.”

Switalskis is committed to making the legal profession accessible to talented people whatever their background, supporting aspiring solicitors through a range of routes. These include a structured work experience programme to 32-month graduate solicitor apprenticeships and QSP training contracts. Each give aspiring solicitors a clear vision of how they can achieve the next step in their legal careers.