Flora Sitwell

My name is Flora Sitwell, and I am a paralegal working in the Corporate Insurance and Public M&A divisions at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP (HSF). I am autistic and in the process of seeking a diagnosis for ADHD.

During the last year of my Politics undergraduate degree, I gained an internship at HSF through an employability scheme for autistic students called Ambitious About Autism. The internship gave me my first taste of legal work and as a result I began to seriously think about a career in law. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to build a relationship with HSF so early on in my legal journey – and even more fortunate to be offered a full-time paralegal job after I graduated.

My employment with HSF is a direct result of my disability, so the firm has always been aware of my condition and has been extremely accommodating to my needs. The main challenges I experience at work are the same challenges that many people with autism and ADHD face – sensory overload, difficulty concentrating, social fatigue, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and needing quiet time alone. These challenges have been partially mitigated through my workplace adjustments, which include things like being given noise-cancelling headphones, having the flexibility to decide which days I work from home, and having instructions for tasks clearly written down.

HSF is one of the most progressive law firms when it comes to neurodiversity inclusion. I have a close relationship with my HR managers, who I have regular meetings with to discuss any workplace concerns I might have. I am also very lucky to be supervised by my mentor, Alison, who is a champion for autism and neurodiversity within the firm, and who spearheaded the firm’s participation in Ambitious About Autism. She is someone who I know I can go to if I have any concerns, and I have weekly catch-up meetings with her and my other (equally lovely!) supervisor, Antonia. I am an active member of the firm’s D&I networks, including the autism support group and autism working group, and I am currently in the process of helping to set up a similar group for employees with ADHD. As part of my involvement in these groups, I have aided in the development of the firm’s new ‘neurodiversity strategy’ – an ambitious set of goals that will help propel neurodiversity inclusion both at the firm and within the wider legal community. Finally, and most importantly, it is the people at HSF who make it such a pleasant place to work – I am yet to experience any judgement or discrimination when it comes to being neurodivergent, and the people I work with closely, who are aware of my disability and my workplace needs, have been nothing but kind, friendly and extremely supportive.

Having autism means that I often think about things in an unorthodox way, and this can be a benefit to employers in terms of lateral thinking. Attention to detail is another classic trait that compels me to zoom into something and pick it apart until I am satisfied it makes sense – which is a great skill to have when dealing with insurance regulation, for example. I also have the ability to hyperfocus under pressure, which can be of use in situations where there is a hard deadline. My perfectionist tendencies also mean that I work diligently on my tasks, and I will not submit a piece of work until I am satisfied that it has fully met the brief.

For disabled students starting out on the arduous path to gaining a legal training contract (which I am still on myself), I would recommend speaking to the graduate recruitment team at the law firm you wish to apply to and finding out as much as possible about the recruitment process. From there, you can decide what, if any, reasonable adjustments you may need. Organisations for students and graduates with disabilities can also be very helpful – MyPlus being a great example. Ultimately though, no amount of external help will guarantee you success straight away, so my biggest advice would be: don’t give up! Good luck to you all, and please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you would like to talk more 😊