Flora Sitwell

I am a future trainee at HSF Kramer, and I have autism and ADHD (often referred to as “AuDHD”).

My route into law involved gaining an internship at HSF Kramer whilst at university, leading to a paralegal job offer upon graduation. I then worked as a knowledge paralegal in the insurance regulatory team for a couple of years before gaining a training contract (“TC”) offer at the firm. For the past year I have been studying for my PGDL qualification (results pending!) whilst also continuing my paralegal work part-time. If all goes well, I will be starting my SQE exams this September.

Having both ADHD and autism creates an interesting – and often contradictory – mixture of strengths (and weaknesses). My ADHD brain – which is dopamine-seeking and therefore constantly latching onto new ideas and sensations – thrives in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and enjoys social interaction. I rely on it to help me meet tight deadlines, memorise information quickly, perform in high-pressure interviews, and network effectively. In contrast, the autistic part of me is very easily burnt out and functions best in quiet, low-sensory environments. It excels at detail-oriented tasks, such as in-depth research, and approaches problems from a bottom-up, analytical perspective. Depending on the day, my overall stress levels and (I’ve recently discovered) my hormonal cycle, one type of neurodiversity may be more dominant than the other. This is a tricky dichotomy to manage at times and results in a broad, fluctuating skill profile.

Workplace adjustments really help me balance out and integrate my neuro-cognitive differences. For example, on days when I have no social battery and can’t bear to get on the noisy tube and go into the office, I can choose to work from home (provided I stick to the 60:40 work pattern overall). On days when I am full of beans and my brain is going at a hundred miles an hour, I can take myself for a quick 10-minute walk to calm my nervous system and re-focus. I am extremely lucky to have an employer that provides me with this type of flexibility; and who trusts me not to abuse the privilege.

Aside from adjustments, HSF Kramer provides a wealth of other types of support for neurodivergent employees. Of particular help is our private healthcare insurance which allows people who think they may be neurodivergent to access diagnostic and titration services. The firm also has an incredible DE&I offering, including a mature network of disability support groups and working groups. I am currently co-chairing the autism and ADHD support group, which meets once a month and provides a space for autistic and/or ADHD employees (or parents) to access peer-to-peer support. I am also involved in the firm’s neurodiversity working group which focuses on improving firmwide processes and increasing neurodiversity awareness. As part of this, I am currently leading on the production of our latest client-facing publication on neurodiversity – the third publication in a series called ‘Infinite Possibilities’. Being involved in these sorts of initiatives has allowed me to develop some incredible relationships beyond my immediate team and has made me feel truly embedded within the firm.

In terms of HSF Kramer’s recruitment process, I have quite intimate knowledge of the firm’s DE&I measures, which undoubtedly gave me an advantage when it came to applying for a vacation scheme. For example, I knew that I could request to skip the psychometric test – one of the early-stage tests that can present particular difficulties for neurodivergent candidates – provided I had medical evidence. Another key adjustment I requested was extra prep time during the assessment centre stage. I also asked for a quiet room to de-compress and prepare in, although I found that on the day I preferred to chat to the other candidates in the main waiting room instead of sequestering myself. (Oftentimes I find that adjustments end up not being as useful or necessary as one might think; however, simply knowing that they are there if needed/requested creates a sense of psychological safety that, for me, is really important.) Finally, during the three-week vacation scheme itself I made sure my supervisors were aware of my AuDHD, and, as expected, they were all extremely kind and reassuring. Again, the simple fact that I knew they were aware of my disability removed a lot of my anxiety.

I would recommend to any disabled student applying for graduate positions to disclose your disability (if you feel comfortable). Any firm you apply to is bound by strict confidentiality and equality laws to keep any declarations private and to offer you suitable adjustments. In today’s society, having a disability need not disadvantage you, and may even help you in some situations. For example, if you are on a vacation scheme or internship, you can attend relevant talks and support groups, opening up opportunities to make connections and find mentors. Reflecting upon your disability in your application may also provide you with a unique selling point. I would also recommend speaking to the graduate recruitment team at the start of the application process and asking what adjustments are available – you will be surprised at how flexible many of them are. Finally, as a general pointer, I would recommend the “less is more” approach – focus on producing a handful of high-quality applications rather than loads done in bulk. I hope these recommendations help – good luck to you all, and please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you would like to talk more.