Responding to the news that international law firm Linklaters had postponed Links’ Pathway, its two-day Insight event for first-year students, Dan Hawes, co-founder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, whose clients include many FTSE 100 recruiters, who between them hire many thousands of students each year, said the move was “understandable and sensible”. 

However, he said there was a difference between ‘insight events’ where students “spend a long time with people in the firm at close quarters, and assessment days and interviews where there are technical alternatives”. Hawes said many graduate recruiters were turning to Skype and interviewing platforms. 

A spokesperson for Linklaters confirmed that the two-day insight event for first year students that was due to have taken place in London on 16-17 March had been postponed, along with its spring vacation scheme, which the spokesperson said was under review.  

Hawes said that while he was sure graduate recruitment will slow down, until the end of last week at least, only a small percentage had decided to put things on hold until the summer. However, he added that things were changing day by day.

Last week, Legal Cheek website reported that Goldman Sachs had postponed its London legal internship due to start on 30 March, as a precautionary measure in the wake of the global pandemic.

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