Joanna Hughes

Joanna is so passionate about the many benefits of the solicitor apprenticeship route into the legal profession - for employers as well as for solicitor apprentices - that in 2022 she pivoted from her 25-year legal career at A&O Shearman and set up a company to champion this route to qualification.

Joanna's work is informed by her co-leading the introduction of solicitor apprenticeships at A&O Shearman, and a deep knowledge of social mobility issues.
In her role as a Member of the City of London Law Society Training Committee, Joanna is working with the Chair of that Committee to greatly increase the number of solicitor apprenticeship opportunities available in the City of London. They co-lead the collaboration of 50+ City of London law firms called 'City Century'.

In addition to being a member of the UCAS Apprenticeship Sector Stakeholder Group, Joanna is also an Associate Ambassador for the London Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, a Partner at the Ladder for Greater Birmingham, a Patron of the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance and a judge for the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards, The Apprenticeship Guide Awards and the UK Social Mobility Awards.

Joanna is a regular speaker about legal apprenticeships for the legal sector and beyond, and has been recognised personally, as well as for her work with City Century, being awarded in September 2024 the 'Hall of Fame' Social Impact Award by the IFLR Legal Benchmarking Group Social Impact Awards and included as a Mover and Shaker on The Social Mobility List 2024.