No – shift()’s mission is to bring quality LegalTech education to everybody, regardless of whether they would otherwise be able to afford it financially.

The shift() curriculum is designed, written and delivered in collaboration with our awesome partners (including City law firms, LegalTech software vendors + other industry stakeholders) as well as individual advisors who are pioneers in the UK LegalTech space. Find out more about them here.

shift() is powered by STRIVE, an award-winning charity that has made waves in the UK legal industry through helping ‘invisibly diverse’ candidates from non-conventional backgrounds secure opportunities within the notoriously traditional and competitive field of commercial law. Find out more here.

The shift() programme can be experienced through two separate streams:

1. shift(Bootcamp): this is our Live Programme option
2. shift(OnDemand): this is our Virtual Internship option

In terms of similarities, participation in either stream gives you access to exactly the same video content. 

In terms of differences, primarily these are:

1. Interactivity: the Bootcamp offers hands-on aspects to accompany the static video content, such as events at which you can meet our law firm sponsors up close and personal, mentorship, student licences to test-drive the pieces of software we mention in the curriculum, and an automatic invite to shift(Hack), a 48-hackathon in London, at the end of the programme. The Bootcamp is therefore a more personal and interactive way to experience shift().
2. Contact with law firms: We are delighted to offer our shift(Bootcamp) students the opportunity to meet our law firm sponsors in exclusive events, where students can learn about how our sponsor firms truly stand out in the way they approach innovation, and law firms can get to know a cohort of diverse, high-potential future City lawyers. 
3. Selectivity: As a result of these additional features, we are only able to offer shift(Bootcamp) to a select number of hand-picked students. By contrast, shift(OnDemand) is only semi-selective and is therefore open to a much wider pool of students. Find out more about our selection criteria for both streams here.
4. Self-paced: Because shift(OnDemand) does not carry the hands-on components mentioned in Point 1 above, shift(OnDemand) is self-paced, meaning that students can complete the content in their own time. By contrast, shift(Bootcamp) is synchronous, meaning that all students on the Bootcamp go through the course at the same pace between January 2022 and March 2022.

That depends on which of the two streams you are on.

shift(Bootcamp): You will automatically be invited to shift(Hack), our 48-hour hackathon in March 2022 in Central London, where you will be able to show off the knowledge you have learnt to our sponsor law firms through building a product to solve problems that City lawyers face on a daily basis.

shift(OnDemand): You will receive a personalised certificate with your name and your average score across the 8 quizzes you will have taken throughout the programme. You can boost an application to participate in shift(Hack) with a satisfactory (>80%) average.

This depends on which of the two streams you are on.

shift(Bootcamp): Yes – you will be drip-fed the video content throughout the 8 weeks, and you will not be able to skip ahead to future weeks. We do so because we want the whole cohort to progress at the same pace, and ensure that you have sufficient time to solidify your understanding through interacting with your mentor and our sponsor law firms.

shift(OnDemand): No – once we confirm that your application has been successful, you will receive access to all video content. You may choose to fly through the 8 ‘weeks’ over the course of 1 week, or sit with it for longer than 8 weeks. The choice is yours!

Absolutely not. shift() is designed to be as accessible as possible. This means that we do not assume any previous knowledge of tech or even law. This is also why the video content is suitable even for pre-university students; if you are a GCSE/A-Level student, the shift(OnDemand) option is open to you.

If you already know how to code, you will still benefit from the course (particularly Modules 1 and 3) as shift() is not about how to code, but rather how technology can benefit and shape the legal industry. The focus is not on pure tech, but the cross-section between tech and law.

That depends on the stream you choose.

shift(Bootcamp): This is the more time-intensive option of the two, but you are also rewarded with hands-on support and an abundance of opportunities to meet our law firm sponsors up close and personal. The time commitment is ~2-3 hours per week, and a weekend in London for shift(Hack).

shift(OnDemand): You will be expected to complete all 8 ‘weeks’, each containing video content lasting 30-45 minutes with a quiz at the end, and 4 tasks throughout the programme (each requiring ~1 hour to complete). The total time commitment is ~12 hours.

Absolutely not.

shift(Bootcamp) is open to those who have already graduated from university and those who are still at university.

shift(OnDemand) is open to both of the above categories, as well as secondary school students.

We are passionate about diversity and believe that opening shift() up to as many categories of students is crucial in nurturing a diverse pipeline of high-potential individuals within the legal industry.

No. As long as you have an interest in the legal industry and are curious about what tech can do for lawyers, we want to hear from you! We love seeing students across all degree disciplines.

Yes. shift(Bootcamp) is more selective of the two, as it offers valuable contact with mentors and law firm representatives.

Below is an outline of the selection process:

shift(Bootcamp)

1. You will first fill out a detailed application form, giving us more insight on your previous relevant experiences (if any). We will also require your CV.
2. Our team will screen your application on a rolling basis. Don’t worry if you don’t think you have a great CV or have relevant experience – we base our selection process on your potential, passion + suitability to shift(Bootcamp). If there were particular reasons you were not able to fulfil your full potential earlier in life, please let us know so we can assess your application fairly. We store your information with strict confidentiality.
3. You will then be invited for a video interview with our team, lasting around 45-60 minutes. The interview includes 2 sections: Section 1 is a chance for us to get to know your motivation and competencies; Section 2 contains situational questions and brain teasers to let us see how you react on your feet.
4. If successful, you will receive an offer to join the shift(Bootcamp) cohort. Congratulations! Before the programme starts, you will be granted login access to our shift(Bootcamp) online learning platform, which will release one week of content every week.

shift(OnDemand)

1. Register as a STRIVE Member here.
2. You will first fill out a short application form, attaching your CV. This form aims to test your motivation to join shift(OnDemand) and your expectations from the course.
3. If successful, you will be notified via email and will be granted login access to our shift(OnDemand) online learning platform. You will gain access to all materials at once, and may complete the course at your own pace.

shift() is a part of STRIVE, an award-winning, UK-based charity that provides support to ‘invisibly diverse’ candidates from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to secure opportunities within commercial law. STRIVE membership is reserved for individuals who fall under this category.

In requiring shift() students to first register as a STRIVE member, we ensure that shift() benefits those who need it most. By doing this, we ensure that shift() truly helps to level the playing field between those from a more ‘traditional’ background and those who have not had that privilege.

Absolutely! STRIVE is all about embracing individuals with their own stories, and the only thing that unites Strivers is that they are all different but all full of potential. We understand that many high-potential students did not have the luxury of securing certain opportunities earlier in life, and we factor this into our selection process. We ask, however, that you try your best to think of ways in which your previous experiences (whether it be in retail, hospitality or offices etc) could give you the soft skills to make the most of shift() and, ultimately, become a successful, future-facing commercial lawyer.

No – but it’s not intended to. Here’s why.

1. There are already many programmers out there in the world! Just imagine teaching programmers how to draft contracts: this is an inefficient use of resources as you would effectively be retraining someone to do something different, rather than upskilling them by building on their previous education and experiences. What we do need more of is lawyers who understand what tech can do for them (but not necessarily knowing how to code that tech), and techies who can communicate with lawyers to understand their pain points, specifications and requirements. shift() is therefore not about retraining lawyers to become techies, but upskilling lawyers to understand tech.
2. As we want to ensure a low barrier to entry and do not want to assume any prior tech knowledge, it is simply not feasible to teach programming from scratch to a level of working knowledge within 8 weeks of 30/45-minute videos.
3. There is an absolute wealth of incredible, beginner-friendly materials on the internet that will teach you how to code. Rather than reinventing the wheel, shift() focuses on its own niche – the cross-section between law and tech.

That being said, shift() may well inspire you to take up programming! There are many free/low-cost resources online that you may choose to pursue after graduating from shift(). While shift() is not in itself a programming course, it contains beginner-friendly explanations of basic concepts that would ease your transition from somebody who knows nothing about programming, to someone who knows the abstract basics to dive deeper into the subject.