OPEN Pathways

OPEN Pathways begins by introducing young people to the world of work through a connected programme of education, career exploration and skills-building opportunities.

Working alongside partners including P-TECH, jumpAgrade, Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI), BelongTo, and the Trinity Access Programme (TAP), we support students to explore future pathways, develop confidence and build key skills for life and work.

Through our in-house initiatives, Step In Experience and Legal Fridays, young people gain insight into the legal profession and wider business careers, connect with mentors, and experience the workplace first-hand.

By connecting our programmes, we move away from one-off initiatives so we can engage with students over years.

A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP

• Our Belfast office delivers literacy support to pupils of St. Patrick's National School through the Business in the Community Northern Ireland's (BITCNI) 'Time to Read' programme.
• Through Barclay’s LifeSkills, we help secondary school students build confidence, develop practical employability skills, and gain insights into the world of work through volunteer-led workshops.

A&L Goodbody (ALG) continues its support into further education by supporting progression across a range of learning routes, including college and university, through mentoring, work experience, and practical supports.

ALG partners with the following universities:

• Trinity Access Programme (TAP)
• Dublin City University Access to the Workplace
• Maynooth University Access Programme
• University of Limerick
• University College Cork

In addition to financially supporting these programmes, we provide professional guidance, student scholarships, summer intern programme placements, mentoring, and advice to law students.

Rodney Overend Educational Trust

The Rodney Overend Educational Trust was established by ALG to honour the memory of one of its lawyers, Rodney Overend, a law graduate of Trinity College Dublin in 1982. The Trust seeks to support promising young law students with their third-level education costs and a scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student entering Law in Trinity. The first bursary was awarded in 2013.

Our career initiatives support people as they begin and develop their careers through professional development, mentoring, work experience, and networking opportunities.

We are proud supporters of Career L.E.A.P., a work readiness training programme for young people aged 18–24 from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Through this partnership we provide work experience, training and, where possible, employment within ALG.

Our careers stage also supports entrepreneurship and social innovation. Through partnerships with Inner City Enterprise (ICE) and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI), we contribute legal expertise, mentoring, and funding to help individuals and organisations turn ideas into sustainable businesses and solutions that create positive social impact.

A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP.

Our Belfast office partners with the Ulster University Degree Apprenticeship Programme. Through this, apprentices can begin their legal career while completing a fully funded law degree. Combining study with paid work, the programme offers an alternative route into the legal profession, enabling apprentices to gain practical experience, develop legal skills and earn while they learn.