The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) and Minster Law have partnered together on a new secondment programme which provides trainees with valuable insights into the wider civil justice system.
Daniel Bates, who joined ACSO in June and will be with us for four months, had the following to say on the secondment programme:
“I am hugely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) as its very first secondee. I have been seconded from Minster Law, a leading UK personal injury law firm- and an ACSO founding member- with whom I am a trainee solicitor.
“I have had the privilege to work remotely alongside Matthew, Charles, Ben, Rachel and Anna for four weeks and, despite only being a quarter of the way through my secondment, the experience has already provided me with commercial insights and a ‘big picture’ awareness that could not be paralleled at this stage of a career in civil justice.
“ACSO’s message is one that immediately resonated with my own experiences and frustrations with the civil justice sector, having worked in it prior to my traineeship for more than five years. It’s that civil protections have been eroded in recent history and that transformative changes are imminent. In working hard to ensure that the interests of the consumer are at the forefront of the minds of policymakers, regulators and the industry through positive engagement and lobbying, ACSO occupies a unique space in the sector. It’s this uniqueness which is making this secondment opportunity all the more exceptional.
“The ACSO team has been wonderfully supportive and engaging. I attend committee meetings alongside members, who are all highly regarded in their respective fields, and work within ACSO working groups, which include senior representatives from the member companies to help further their important projects.
“Alongside my work within ACSO’s established groups, I have also been given the chance to lead a project of my own, looking into innovation and technology apparent or anticipated in the legal sector comparative to other industries in the UK, such as financial services, and consider the hurdles for consumers and members so that ACSO can help ensure implementation is inclusive. The ACSO team has helped me hit the ground running and is arranging direct access to some of the leading players in the market for my research.
“My opinions and questions have always been welcomed, no matter the forum, and discussed honestly and openly. It really is an experience like no other, working alongside inspirational colleagues and members in pursuit of a better justice system for the consumer.”